Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy was used to measure fluorescence emission of normal and malignant tissue during endoscopy in patients with esophageal cancer and volunteers with normal esophagus. The spectroscopy system consisted of a nitrogen-pumped dye-laser tuned at 410 nm for excitation source, an optical multichannel analyzer for spectrum analysis, and a fiberoptic probe designed for both the delivery of excitation light and the collection of fluorescence emission from tissue. The fluorescence lineshape of each spectrum was determined and sampled at 15-nm intervals from 430 to 716 nm. A calibration set of spectra from normal and malignant spectra was selected. Using stepwise discriminate analysis, significant wavelengths that separated normal from malignant spectra were selected. The intensities at these wavelengths were used to formulate a classification model using linear discriminate analysis. The model was then used to classify additional tissue spectra from 26 malignant and 108 normal sites into either normal or malignant spectra. A sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 98% were obtained.

Background and Objective: We report the use of new diagnostic parameters based on the differential normalized fluorescence (DNF) signals for malignant tumor diagnosis.Study Design/Materials and Methods: Over 200 measurements of endogenous fluorescence from normal and malignant esophageal tissues were performed during routine endoscopy in 48 patients. A pulsed nitrogen-pumped dye laser was used to provide in situ excitation at 410 nm. Direct collection of the fluorescence signal emitted by the tissue was achieved using an intensified photodiode array detector equipped with a fiberoptic probe.Results: The fluorescence signals were normalized with respect to the total fluorescence signal area. The cancer diagnosed indices were defined by the difference between the normalized fluorescence signal of a tumor and the mean value of a reference set of normal tissues. The results of the DNF approach were compared with endoscopic examinations and histopathology interpretations of the biopsy samples. Excellent correlation in the classification of normal and malignant tumors for the samples was found.Conclusion: The data indicated that the DNF approach has a significant potential to provide a direct, real-time, and in-situ technique for cancer diagnosis of the esophagus without requiring biopsy of the tumors and time-consuming histopathology tests. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy was employed to measure fluorescence emission of normal and malignant tissue during endoscopy in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. A nitrogen/dye laser tuned at 410 nm was used for excitation source. The fluorescence lineshape of each spectrum was determined and sampled at 15 nm intervals from 430 nm to 716 nm. A calibration set from normal and malignant spectra were selected. Using stepwise discriminate analysis, significant wavelengths that separated normal and malignant spectra were selected. The intensities at these wavelengths were used to formulate a classification model using linear discriminate analysis. The model was used to classify additional tissue spectra from 26 malignant and 108 normal sites into either normal or malignant spectra with a sensitivity of 100 percent and specificity of 98 percent.