Combined multiphoton microscopy and somatostatin receptor type 2 imaging of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Abstract

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are a rare but increasingly more prevalent cancer with heterogeneous clinical and pathological expression. Surgery is the preferred treatment for most PNETs, but existing intraoperative localization imaging techniques have poor tumor contrast and resolution. Our work tests the suitability of combined somatostatin receptor imaging (SRI) and multiphoton microscopy (MPM) for localizing PNETs, combining the labeled technique of SRI with the label-free technique of MPM for enhanced contrast and sensitivity. Our results suggest that this approach could be a valuable clinical tool for surgical localization and treatment of PNETs.