Optical Spectroscopy as a Screening Tool in Colon Cancer

Abstract

Tiny but potentially fatal flaws can make the difference between life and death. That's why the airline industry uses state-of-the-art ultrasonic testing, X-rays and electromagnetic sensors to detect miniscule "fatigue cracks" too small to spot with the naked eye - but large enough to cause planes to crash. Now, researchers at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENH) and Northwestern University have received a $1.8 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to test a powerful new light technology that provides information about objects 20 to 50 times smaller than what conventional microscopy can provide - and allows researchers to detect the beginning stages of colon cancer.

"This study will enable us to detect subtle changes in the microarchitecture of precancerous colon cells at far earlier stages than current technology allows," said Hemant Roy, MD, gastroenterologist and associate professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "The findings may have major clinical applications because they could lead to the introduction of a reliable screening tool that allows doctors to identify individuals at increased risk for colorectal cancer and to reduce their risk with regular colonoscopic screening." This technology also may enable doctors to identify individuals at low risk who may not require regular colorectal cancer screening.

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. When it is detected early, however, it is highly preventable and curable. Researchers agree that developing improved screening methods capable of identifying precancerous changes in what appear to be normal cells are urgently needed because they could reduce not only the mortality rate from this deadly disease but also could prevent patients from developing it in the first place. Current screening tests are not sensitive enough to detect the earliest stages of cancer. In addition, most people at risk for the disease, such as adults over the age of 50, do not comply with current screening recommendations.

In this study, "Spectral Markers for Early Detection of Colon Neoplasia," Dr. Roy and Vadim Backman, PhD, of Northwestern University, will use a new generation of advanced optical technology called Four-Dimensional Elastic Light-scattering Fingerprinting (4D-ELF). Dr. Backman, who also holds a joint appointment with the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Division of Gastroenterology, developed the technology at the Biomedical Engineering Department of Northwestern University. This instrument is a major advance in optical technology and the study is one of 50 collaborative initiatives currently taking place between the physician scientists at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and researchers at Northwestern University. The technology also is under study as a potential screening method for pancreatic and cervical cancers.

In a previous study published in the April 2004 issue of the journal Gastroenterology, Drs. Roy, Backman and others analyzed the colon cells of rats with colon cancer and found profound cellular abnormalities in the earliest stages of the disease. "Our research with patients at Evanston and Glenbrook Hospitals who are undergoing colonoscopies will validate whether light-scattering technology could be a sensitive screening test to identify high-risk individuals with precancerous changes in the earliest stages of the disease so they can be referred for regular screening," said Dr. Roy.

ENH is a leading institution in colorectal cancer research and has grants from several sources including the National Science Foundation, American Cancer Society and National Institutes of Health. To schedule an appointment for a screening colonoscopy, call 1-888-ENH-6400 or visit the Gastroenterology Clinical Service at www.enh.org

Located in Chicago's northern suburbs, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (ENH) is an integrated healthcare system that includes Evanston, Glenbrook and Highland Park Hospitals, ENH Medical Group (comprising 65 medical offices and facilities), ENH Home Services, ENH Research Institute and ENH Foundation. Through its affiliation with Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, ENH supports extensive medical education and research. ENH is in the top nine percent of all institutions that receive funding from the National Institutes of Health; among multi-specialty independent research hospitals, it ranks 12th in the nation.

ENH is also recognized as a leader for implementing technology and improving processes to advance the safety and quality of patient care. Its hospitals are the only ones in Illinois to have fully implemented the quality and safety practices recommended by the Leapfrog Group for Patient Safety*. Hospitals and Health Networks magazine has named ENH one of the "Most Wired" healthcare organizations in the nation.

* 2004 Leapfrog Hospital Quality and Safety Survey