The project is funded under the FP7 program
Project name: EDOCALD (FP7 project number 605254).
EdocalD Project
In cancer, tissue cells tend to create many additional blood vessels to support their growth. The molecule protoporphyrin (PpIX) is generally present in blood vessels and exhibits red fluorescence when excited with UV or blue light in the 360-425 nm range. Cancer cells and pre-cancer cells are detected by observing the red fluorescence at a matching excitation wavelength. The wavelength of the laser has to be tunable as the matching wavelength depends on the person, type of illness and presence of other chemicals. Baselines are created using surrounding healthy tissue.
The Challenge
To differentiate pre-cancerous lesions from a multitude of other red, white, or ulcerated lesions that also occurs in the oral cavity. Most oral lesions are benign, but many have an appearance that may be confused with a malignant lesion, and some previously considered benign are now classified as premalignant because they have been statistically correlated with subsequent cancerous changes. Conversely, some malignant lesions seen in an early stage may be mistaken for a benign change. So for our system we are targeting very high sensitivity and specificity. Any oral lesion that does not regress spontaneously or respond to the usual therapeutic measures should be considered potentially malignant until histologically shown to be benign. A period of 2 to 3 weeks is considered an appropriate period of time to evaluate the response of a lesion to treatment. When our system takes a second image of the patient we can overlay the images and see if lesions from first image are still present or if new lesions have appeared. When lesions are present in both images and are identified as pre-malignant or malignant then a definitive diagnosis is warranted (biopsy).
Before EdocalD
After EdocalD
Partners
- 2M Engineering
- FOCE International Technology
- TopGaN
- CSTG
- University of Dundee:
- Ninewells Hospital
- Dundee Dental Clinic
English 
Dutch 
German