Multimodal Optical Imaging of Ex Vivo Fallopian Tubes to Distinguish Early and Occult Tubo-Ovarian Cancers - Research Summary

Sep 21, 2026

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Tubo-ovarian cancers often lack effective screening and are frequently diagnosed at late stages, leading to high mortality. This study evaluates whether an optical imaging catheter can identify early-stage disease or occult precursor lesions originating in the fallopian tubes. Co-registered optical coherence tomography (OCT) and autofluorescence imaging (AFI) are used to visualize tissue structure and functional fluorescence signals. Ex vivo fallopian tubes from 28 patients are analyzed with eleven imaging biomarkers to assess diagnostic discrimination.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time1 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods

Imaging approach: OCT and AFI

Results

Conclusions

cancers Article Multimodal Optical Imaging of Ex Vivo Fallopian Tubes to Distinguish Early and Occult Tubo-Ovarian Cancers Jeanie Malone 1,2, *, Adrian S. Tanskanen 1,2, Chloe Hill 1,3, Allan Zuckermann Cynamon 1,3, Lien Hoang 4, Calum MacAulay 1,4, Jessica N. McAlpine 5 and Pierre M. Lane 1,2,3 Citation: Malone, J.; Tanskanen, A.S.; Hill, C.; Zuckermann Cynamon, A.; Hoang, L.; MacAulay, C.; McAlpine, J.N.; Lane, P.M. Multimodal Optical Imaging of Ex Vivo Fallopian Tubes to Distinguish Early and Occult Tubo-Ovarian Cancers. Cancers 2024, 16, 3618. [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)cancers16213618 Academic Editor: Edward J. Pavlik Received: 10 September 2024 Revised: 22 October 2024 Accepted: 25 October 2024 Published: 26 October 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Institute, 675 W 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada; [plane@bccrc.ca](plane@bccrc.ca) (P.M.L.) 2 School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 251-2222 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada 3 School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada 4 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia and Vancouver General Hospital, 910 West 10 Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada 5 Department Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division Gynecologic Oncology, University of British Columbia and BC Cancer, 2775 Laurel St, 6th Floor, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada * [Correspondence: jmalone@bccrc.ca](Correspondence: jmalone@bccrc.ca) Simple Summary: Tubo-ovarian cancers are associated with high mortality as they are often not detected until a late stage. Early diagnosis is associated with better patient outcomes, but there are currently no effective screening measures. We explore whether an optical imaging catheter can detect early or occult lesions in the fallopian tubes. This device collects three-dimensional structural images of tissue through optical coherence tomography (OCT) simultaneously with functional imaging through autofluorescence imaging (AFI) . We image ex vivo fallopian tubes from n = 28 patients (n = 7 cancer patients) and explore eleven imaging biomarkers for their ability to distinguish early or occult disease. We find that high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas can be visually distinguished through this approach, and that there are several quantitative changes within the area of lesion and throughout the specimen that can be measured through these imaging biomarkers. We conclude that this approach shows promise and merits further investigation of its diagnostic potential. Abstract: Background: There are currently no effective screening measures to detect early or occult tubo-ovarian cancers, resulting in late-stage detection and high mortality. This work explores whether an optical imaging catheter can detect early-stage tubo-ovarian cancers or precursor lesions where they originate in the fallopian tubes. Methods: This device collects co-registered optical coherence tomography (OCT) and autofluorescence imaging (AFI) . OCT provides three-dimensional assessment of underlying tissue structures; autofluorescence imaging provides functional contrast of endogenous fluorophores. Ex vivo fallopian tubes (n = 28; n = 7 cancer patients) are imaged; we present methods for the calculation of and analyze eleven imaging biomarkers related to fluorescence, optical attenuation, and OCT texture for their potential to detect tubo-ovarian cancers and other lesions of interest. Results

FAQs

What problem does the study address for tubo-ovarian cancers?

The study focuses on the lack of effective screening tools, which contributes to late-stage detection and high mortality. It targets the opportunity to detect early or occult lesions originating in the fallopian tubes.

How does the optical imaging catheter work in this research?

It collects co-registered optical coherence tomography (OCT) and autofluorescence imaging (AFI). OCT provides three-dimensional structural assessment, while AFI offers functional contrast from endogenous fluorophores.

What signals or biomarkers distinguish cancer-related specimens?

Cancerous specimens show increased median autofluorescence intensity and decreased Shannon entropy compared with specimens without lesions. High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma also appears with reduced autofluorescence paired with homogeneous OCT and reduced mean optical attenuation.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Eden