Optical imaging technologies for in vivo cancer detection in low-resource settings

Abstract

Cancer continues to affect underserved populations disproportionately. Novel optical imaging technologies, which can provide rapid, non-invasive, and accurate cancer detection at the point of care, have great potential to improve global cancer care. This article reviews the recent technical innovations and clinical translation of low-cost optical imaging technologies, highlighting the advances in both hardware and software, especially the integration of artificial intelligence, to improve in vivo cancer detection in low-resource settings. Additionally, this article provides an overview of existing challenges and future perspectives of adapting optical imaging technologies into clinical practice, which can potentially contribute to novel insights and programs that effectively improve cancer detection in low-resource settings.

Keywords: Deep learning; In vivo cancer detection; Low-resource settings; Optical imaging.

Figure 1

Enabling early cancer detection in low-resource settings (LRS) through in vivo optical imaging. The top panel illustrates the global burden of selected cancers that can potentially be addressed by optical imaging, and current challenges in early detection and its impact on patient care. The bottom panel shows important considerations when designing optical imaging technologies and the potential of these imaging systems, when combined with computer-aided diagnosis, for early cancer detection in LRS. Human anatomy figure created with BioRender.com.