Multipath contrast imaging for oral cancer management

Oral cancer management is challenging as many benign lesions present similarly to precancerous lesions; thus, non-invasive optical tools that can assess tissue status would provide utility in lesion monitoring and biopsy site selection. We hypothesize that there may be oral cancer-sensitive image biomarkers present in a novel image processing technique that interrogates angular scattering behaviour (multipath contrast imaging, MCI). This work retrospectively examines MCI of oral lesions imaged with a widefield endoscopic optical coherence tomography and autofluorescence imaging (OCT-AFI) device. Preliminary analysis shows subtle MCI intensity changes dysplasia and distinct visual changes in carcinoma when compared to contralateral.