This paper reports the application of endoscopic light scattering spectroscopy (LSS) with light gating to detect malignancies in the biliary and pancreatic ducts, and also reviews the application of endoscopic LSS for differentiating cystic neoplasms in the pancreas and detecting invisible dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus. Information about tissue structure within the superficial epithelium where malignancy starts is present within the spectra of reflected light. Fortunately, this component of the reflected light is not yet randomized. However multiple scattering randomizes the signal from the underlying connective tissue which obscures the desired signal. In order to extract diagnostic information from the reflected signal the multiple scattering component related to connective tissue scattering and absorption must be removed. This is accomplished using described here spatial or polarization gating implemented with endoscopically compatible fiber optic probes.
Keywords: Optical spectroscopy; cancer; cellular scale; light gating; light scattering.