Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for early detection to improve survival and quality of life. Although colonoscopy remains the standard screening method, limitations in current diagnostic tools often result in cancerous polyps being misclassified as benign. Furthermore, existing polyp removal techniques frequently produce unsafe oncological margins, leaving residual tumour tissue that increases complication rates and worsens patient prognosis.
This project aims to develop a cancer-targeted optical contrast agent with potential for integration with phototherapeutic functionality. The contrast agent will provide a detectable signal when in the presence of cancer specific biomarkers enabling differentiation between benign and cancerous tissue. The contrast agent will be detected via a photoacoustic/fluorescence set up. This novel approach will offer real-time visualisation of tumour with high spatial resolution, thereby enhancing early polyp diagnosis and improving surgical outcomes by accurately distinguishing diseased from healthy tissue.
