Non-invasive characterization of melanoma depth at single-cell resolution.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Efficient staging and management of cutaneous melanoma, one of today's deadliest skin cancers, requires non-invasive determination of tumour depth (Breslow depth). However, current imaging technologies lack the necessary contrast or penetration to measure Breslow depth.

Objectives

To determine if raster-scanning optoacoustic mesoscopy (RSOM) can fill this gap in dermatology.

Methods

We used phantoms to optimize RSOM for melanoma imaging and demonstrated its capability to image melanocytes at single-cell resolution in deep tissue. We then compared RSOM's ability to measure Breslow depth against the clinical standard in a pilot study. For the phantoms studies, we compared the ability of an optimized RSOM system to measure the concentration and diameter of sin

SUBMITTER: Aguirre J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12553128 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature