biostudies-literatureWeyers BWNCI NIH HHSNational Institutes of HealthNIH HHS1765-1776https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9979707biostudies-literatureUnknown44(8)<h4>Background</h4>This study evaluated whether fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm), coupled with standard diagnostic workups, could enhance primary lesion detection in patients with p16+ head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of the unknown primary (HNSCCUP).<h4>Methods</h4>FLIm was integrated into transoral robotic surgery to acquire optical data on six HNSCCUP patients' oropharyngeal tissues. An additional 55-patient FLIm dataset, comprising conventional primary tumors, trained a machine learning classifier; the output predicted the presence and location of HNSCCUP for the six patients. Validation was performed using histopathology.<h4>Results</h4>Among the six HNSCCUP patients, p16+ occult primary was surgically identified in three patients, whereas three patients ultimately had no ideHead & neckIntraoperative delineation of p16+ oropharyngeal carcinoma of unknown primary origin with fluorescence lifetime imaging: Preliminary report.PMC9979707R01 CA187427P30 CA093373Birkeland ACGui DMarsden MAWeyers BWFarwell DGFrusciante RPMarcu LBewley AFBec JTam AAbouyared MfalseIntraoperative delineation of p16+ oropharyngeal carcinoma of unknown primary origin with fluorescence lifetime imaging: Preliminary report.<h4>Background</h4>This study evaluated whether fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm), coupled with standard diagnostic workups, could enhance primary lesion detection in patients with p16+ head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of the unknown primary (HNSCCUP).<h4>Methods</h4>FLIm was integrated into transoral robotic surgery to acquire optical data on six HNSCCUP patients' oropharyngeal tissues. An additional 55-patient FLIm dataset, comprising conventional primary tumors, trained a machine learning classifier; the output predicted the presence and location of HNSCCUP for the six patients. Validation was performed using histopathology.<h4>Results</h4>Among the six HNSCCUP patients, p16+ occult primary was surgically identified in three patients, whereas three patients ultimately had no ide2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Aug2025-04-04T20:04:08.45Z2025-04-04T20:04:08.45ZS-EPMC99797073551120810.1002/hed.27078