Detection of squamous cell cancer and pre-cancerous lesions by imaging of tissue autofluorescence in the hamster cheek pouch model

Early detection of invasive and pre-invasive neoplasms of the aerodigestive tract will ultimately improve the management of patients with these lesions. This paper describes the use of quantitative fluorescence imaging of early squamous cell carcinomas in an animal model. Dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and invasive cancers were imaged exploiting tumour autofluorescence. Mapped biopsies were obtained from areas imaged determining a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 80%. Autofluorescence imaging is an excellent method of detecting neoplasms of the aerodigestive tract.