Optical Frequency Domain Imaging for Non-melanoma Skin Cancers

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common cancer in the United States, with more than 750,000 diagnosed patients treated every year. Its prevalence and incidence have significantly increased over the past two decades and it has been estimated that 20% of all Americans will develop this type of cancer during their lifetime (Neville et al., 2007). Biopsy and surgical resection of NMSC can result in tissue mutilation and scaring. Therefore, there is a need for new imaging technologies that can be used to non-invasively guide biopsy and surgery.

Optical Frequency Domain Imaging (OFDI) is a second-generation imaging implementation of optical coherence tomography (OCT) developed at the Wellman Center. OFDI provides high-resolution three-dimensional imaging in tissue. It uses an interferometric depth-sectioning technique and employs a near-infrared light source. Through analysis of phase information in the recorded signal. OFDI can detect blood vessels within tissues and tumors. Importantly, OFDI-based vascular imaging can be performed without the need for exogenous contrast agents, making it relatively easy to deploy in clinical settings.