Study compares combined microscopy in various skin cancer specimens with standard methods.
Wausau, WI (October 25, 2022) – Precise determination of cancer margin during skin cancer surgery is crucial for complete resection and further clinical prognosis. However, current microscopy-based skin cancer guiding methods including reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and fluorescence confocal microscopy (FCM) have limitations. This study evaluates a combined microscopy technique called reflectance confocal and moxifloxacin based two-photon combined microscopy. The combined microscopy visualized cell structures in the skin in high image contrasts by using the FDA approved moxifloxacin antibiotic as a cell labeling agent.
The preclinical report, led by Won Yeong Park, BS, is titled, “High-contrast visualization of human skin cancers with combined reflectance confocal and moxifloxacin-based two-photon microscopy: An ex vivo study.” The report, published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM), the official journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS), was selected as the October 2022 Editor’s Choice.
The study characterized the combined microscopy in various skin cancer tissues including normal, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). It distinguished between normal cell structures in the skin such as hair follicles and glands, and cancer cell structures based on cellular organization. Normal cell structures showed organized cell distribution for their functionalities, while cancer cell structures showed a dense and irregular distribution of similar-sized cells.
Although all the studies were done in freshly excised skin specimens, the combined microscopy can be used for in-vivo imaging. Therefore, the combined microscopy has a potential for in vivo guiding of skin cancer surgery.
Won Yeong Park, BS is a PhD student of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Korea. His research interests are development of two-photon microscopy techniques for precision cancer surgery and skin image analysis using artificial intelligence.
Editor’s Choice is an exclusive article published in LSM, the official journal of the ASLMS. View the complete manuscript.
The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS) is the largest multidisciplinary professional organization dedicated to the development and application of lasers and related technology for health care applications. ASLMS promotes excellence in patient care by advancing biomedical application of lasers and other related technologies worldwide. ASLMS membership includes physicians, surgeons, nurses, and allied health professionals representing multiple specialties, physicists involved in product development, biomedical engineers, biologists, industry representatives and manufacturers. For more information, visit aslms.org.