Clinical Applications

Detection of Cervical Pre-cancer:Cervical cancer is an important problem. The curable precursor to cervical cancer is cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN). Fifty million Pap smears are done annually in the US to screen for cervical cancer and its precursor; 6-7% are abnormal. It has been estimated that the cost of screening and detection of cervical pre-cancer approach $6 billion annually in the Unites States; this cost is driven primarily by the false positive rate of the Pap smear. We have developed an optical method for detection of cervical precancer. This method measures fluorescence and reflectance spectra from cervical tissue in vivo using a fiber optic probe. In clinical trials of over 1,000 women, spectroscopic diagnosis had equivalent sensitivity and superior specificity compared to gynecologists. We have shown that this technique is more cost-effective than the current standard of care. These technologies have been licensed to a number of companies.

Detection of Pre-Cancer in the Oral Cavity: Oral cancer is a major health problem worldwide. Patients with early disease have better chances for cure and functional outcome, yet most patients present with advanced tumors. Early detection improves outcomes for oral cancer patients. We are developing a new technology, fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy, for non-invasive, early detection of oral cavity neoplasia and assessment of molecular changes associated with oral carcinogenesis. Our goal is to provide a clinical tool to dramatically improve early detection and monitoring of oral neoplasia. Technology to non-invasively assess molecular changes in oral mucosa could augment clinical and translational research of genetic mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis and treatment of oral neoplasia.