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Malone, Jeanie Hakansson

University of British Columbia

Tubo-ovarian cancers are the most lethal gynecologic cancer. Early diagnosis is associated with better patient outcomes, but there are currently no effective screening measures. This thesis is a series of translational studies which explore whether novel optical imaging catheters can detect early or occult (otherwise undetectable) tubo-ovarian cancers where they originate in the fallopian tubes. Endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) is uniquely positioned to provide detailed examination of subsurface tissue structures in small luminal organs deep within the body. It can be paired with autofluorescence imaging (AFI), to provide complimentary functional information, and achieved in a single fiber optic (sub-millimeter diameter) catheter. This thesis aims to develop methods for imaging the fallopian tubes, discover image features related to tubo-ovarian cancers, and assess the clinical feasibility of in vivo optical falloposcopy. These aims are explored first through a pre-clinical study of resected fallopian tubes, and later through work towards an in vivo human trial. High grade serous ovarian carcinoma is visualized and quantified via imaging biomarkers, motivating future study and providing direction for the future design of optical falloposcopy devices. In parallel with these primary aims, two adjacent studies are presented to provide context for the opportunities and challenges associated with optical imaging for tubo-ovarian cancer detection. First, an in vivo oral cancer imaging study using similar devices in a different clinical application. Second, an exploration of multipath artifacts inherent to multimodal endoscopic OCT including a novel strategy to leverage these artifacts. This work demonstrates promise in an optical imaging technique which is near in vivo translation. Tools that allow for high-resolution, detailed qualitative and quantitative assessment of fallopian tubes may support new care strategies for tubo-ovarian cancer patients, with the ultimate aim of reducing mortality and improving quality of life.

Text

2025-01-07

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/90069

Biomedical Engineering

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/