Nonlinear Optical Microscopy for Histology of Fresh Normal and Cancerous Pancreatic Tissues

Background Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease with a 5-year survival rate of only 1–5%. The acceleration of intraoperative histological examination would be beneficial for better management of pancreatic cancer, suggesting an improved survival. Nonlinear optical methods based on two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation (SHG) of intrinsic optical biomarkers show the ability to visualize the morphology of fresh tissues associated with histology, which is promising for real-time intraoperative evaluation of pancreatic cancer.