Ex vivo label-free microscopy of head and neck cancer patient tissues

Standard methods to characterize patient tissue rely on histology. This technique provides only anatomical information, so complementary imaging methods could provide beneficial phenotypic information. Cancer cells exhibit altered metabolism, and metabolic imaging could be applied to better understand cancer tissue. This study applies redox ratio, fluorescence lifetime, and second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging to ex vivo tissue from head and neck cancer patients. This high-resolution imaging technique has unique advantages of utilizing intrinsic tissue contrast, which eliminates the need for sample processing or staining, and multiphoton microscopy, which provides depth sectioning in intact tissue. This study demonstrates feasibility of these measurements in patient tissue from multiple anatomical sites and carcinoma types of head and neck cancer.