Polarization-Sensitive Multimodal Imaging for Detecting Breast Cancer

Abstract

Intraoperative delineation of breast cancer is a significant problem in surgical oncology. A reliable method for demarcation of malignant breast tissue during surgery would reduce the re-excision rate due to positive margins. We present a novel method of identifying breast cancer margins using combined dye-enhanced wide-field fluorescence polarization imaging for en face cancer margins and polarization-sensitive (PS) optical coherence tomography (OCT) for cross-sectional evaluation. Tumor specimens were collected following breast surgery, stained with methylene blue, and imaged. Wide-field fluorescence polarization images were excited at 640 nm and registered between 660 and 750 nm. Standard and PS OCT images were acquired using a commercial 1,310-nm swept-source system. The imaging results were validated against histopathology. Statistically significant higher fluorescence polarization of cancer as compared with both normal and fibrocystic tumor tissue was measured in all the samples. Fluorescence polarization delineated lateral breast cancer margins with contrast superior to that provided by OCT. However, OCT complemented fluorescence polarization imaging by facilitating cross-sectional inspection of tissue. PS OCT yielded higher contrast between cancer and connective tissue, as compared with standard OCT. Combined PS OCT and fluorescence polarization imaging shows promise for intraoperative delineation of breast cancer. Cancer Res; 74(17); 4685-93. Ó2014 AACR.

Investigation of Optical Coherence Microelastography as a Method to Visualize Cancers in Human Breast Tissue

“…Similarly to previously reported feasibility studies of OCT on breast tissue (26,27,29), the diagnostic accuracy of OCME has not been reported here, as the goal of this study is to establish the contrast provided by OCME in breast tissue. Given the promise of the results presented here, subsequent work will focus on determining the sensitivity and specificity of the presence of malignant tumor in tumor margins.…”

“…A number of studies have evaluated OCT for imaging of excised human breast tissue (26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31) and lymph nodes (32)(33)(34). These studies have indicated that OCT may be used to visualize breast microarchitecture, but that it is difficult to distinguish tumor from stroma in OCT images.…”

“…These studies have indicated that OCT may be used to visualize breast microarchitecture, but that it is difficult to distinguish tumor from stroma in OCT images. OCT contrast between tumor and stroma is based on differences in their respective optical properties (26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31). The contrast in OCME images (microelastograms), alternatively, is provided by differences in tissue mechanical properties.…”

Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography – a review [Invited]

“…Several papers have demonstrated the reduction of birefringence in tumor tissue in an animal model, and human esophagus, skin, vocal fold, breast and bladder [57,76,156,[162][163][164][165][166][167][168][169][170]. An example of PS-OCT images of a hamster cheek pouch cancer model is shown in Fig.…”

Evaluation of breast tissue with confocal strip-mosaicking microscopy: a test approach emulating pathology-like examination

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Confocal microscopy is an emerging technology for rapid imaging of freshly excised tissue without the need for frozen-or fixed-section processing. Initial studies have described the major findings of invasive breast cancers using fluorescence confocal microscopy.…”