Published online Jan 15, 2019. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v11.i1.1
Peer-review started: October 7, 2018
First decision: October 26, 2018
Revised: November 23, 2018
Accepted: December 12, 2018
Article in press: December 13, 2018
Published online: January 15, 2019
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Currently, the most accurate diagnosis imaging modality for HCC is magnetic resonance imaging. However, it is difficult to distinguish cirrhosis lesions. Hyperspectral imaging may be a novel modality as an early/fast diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge, there are few reports about hyperspectral analysis for HCC.
Because hyperspectral analysis is not penetrable, previous research on diagnosis has mainly focused on superficial tissue and establishment of the tumor margin during surgery. The development of interventional medicine provides another potential application for hyperspectral analysis. We can reach deeper organs with minimal invasion by a percutaneous approach, and a millimeter-level optical fiber can be introduced into the deep tissue to obtain reflecting hyperspectral signals or images. With the combination of interventional techniques and hyperspectral analysis, we want to provide a new complementary diagnostic tool for HCC.
In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of hyperspectral analysis for the discrimination of rabbit VX2 liver tumor from normal liver tissue, and to identify if hyperspectral imaging can distinguish HCC from normal tissue.
A rabbit liver VX2 tumor model was established. After laparotomy and under direct view, VX2 tumor tissue and normal liver tissue were subjected to hyperspectral analysis.
The spectral signature of the liver tumor was clearly distinguishable from that of the normal tissue, simply from the original spectral curves. Specifically, two absorption peaks at 600–900 nm wavelength in normal tissue disappeared in tumor tissue, but a new reflection peak appeared in the tumor tissue. The average optical reflection at the whole waveband of 400-1800 nm in liver tumor was higher than that of the normal tissue.
Hyperspectral analysis can differentiate rabbit VX2 tumors from normal tissue. Further research will focus on performing hyperspectral imaging to obtain more information for differentiation of liver cancer from normal tissue.
With the combination of interventional techniques and hyperspectral analysis, it is expected to bring us a novel complementary diagnostic tool for HCC. Hyperspectral analysis may be a powerful tool for HCC analysis, with many advantages, including rapidity and no ionizing radiation or contrast agents.