Analysis of the Orientation of Collagen Fibers as a Tool for the Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

The early diagnosis of colorectal cancer has higher chances to treatment for recovery. Today, the efforts of the world scientific community are focused on finding both new markers and new diagnostic techniques to detect noninva-sively the presence of cancer. The search for new imaging methods for early detection of first lesions of the disease is currently a challenge. The aim of this study was to detect changes in early stages of CRC using nonlinear microscopy images, such as Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) and Two Photon Excitation Fluorescence (TPEF). Using the math func-tion Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on SHG images allowed us to quantify changes in the orientation of collagen fibers in the early stages of CRC, in a murine model. These alterations, which are not easily visualized by standard pathology tech-niques (eg hematoxylin and eosin staining), could be used as early indicators of the disease. Therefore, the use of these technologies associated with image analysis based on scoring methods, as significant contributions to the diagnosis of this type of cancer is postulated.