Detection of morphologic alterations in rectal carcinoma following preoperative radiochemotherapy based on multiphoton microscopy imaging

Background Preoperative radiochemotherapy improves outcomes in patients with locally advanced rectal carcinoma, and has been used increasingly in patient management. However, there is a strong clinical need to assess tumor response to neoadjuvant treatment, and a non-invasive technique that allows the precise identification of morphologic changes in tumors would be of considerable clinical interest. Methods In this study, we used multiphoton microscopy (MPM) to detect morphologic alterations in rectal adenocarcinomas in patients treated with preoperative radiochemotherapy. Results MPM was able to identify histopathologic alterations in rectal cancer following preoperative radiochemotherapy, and allowed the qualitative assessment of treatment efficacy and feasibility in relation to dose or strategy. Conclusion These findings may provide the groundwork for evaluating tumor response to neoadjuvant treatment, thus allowing the tailoring of effective treatment doses and strategies.