Detecting cancer cells with laser beams

Award-winning Canadian research and technology development delivers fast, cost-effective and non-invasive tools to detect early signs of cancer in skin and lung tissues.

Dr. Haishan Zeng

• Distinguished Scientist, BC Cancer Agency Research Centre
• Associate Professor, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver

Associates and partners

• Dr. Stephen Lam
  • Professor of Medicine in the Respiratory Division, UBC
  • Distinguished Scientist in the Integrative Oncology Department – Imaging Unit of the BC Cancer Agency Research Centre.
• Dr. Harvey Lui
  • Professor, UBC Faculty of Medicine
  • Medical Director of the Vancouver General Hospital Skin Care Centre, and the Psoriasis and Phototherapy Clinic
  • Head of the Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, UBC
• Dr. David McLean
  • Professor in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of British Columbia
  • Head of the BC Cancer Agency Prevention Programs
• BC Cancer Agency
• Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
• UBC Faculty of Medicine
• Verisante Technology, Inc.

Issue: Lung and skin cancer rates are rising in Canada

They are potentially lethal diseases, but very early diagnosis can lead to significant survival rates. Diagnosis usually requires a biopsy, and waiting for test results. A device that can quickly screen for cancer cells without biopsies or prolonged waits is a huge advantage for doctors and patients alike.

Now, fast new diagnostic tools are on the horizon. The Verisante Aura ^TM melanoma detection system may be in use as early as 2012. The Aura ^TM uses non-invasive and cost-effective laser technology for early detection of skin cancer cells, offering the promise of shorter wait times, less treatment discomfort and lives saved.

Research

Dr. Zeng has led two major research projects focusing on the development of laser-Raman spectroscopy technology – laser beam diagnostic tools – to measure molecular vibrations of skin and lung tissues that point to the existence of cancer cells.

Dr. Zeng's research initially focused on the scientific challenges of diagnosing skin cancers. The early promise of laser-Ramen spectroscopy technology encouraged him to branch out with a 2006 project, Development of an Endoscopic Laser Raman Probe for Lung Cancer Detection.

The CIHR-funded Proof of Principle Program (POP) Phase 1 project had two goals, to make the lung cancer diagnostic tools faster and smaller.

An ultra-fast, ultra slim probe that could go directly into the lungs and spot early lung cancers could speed up diagnosis and eliminate the need for invasive biopsies. The challenges were to adapt the rapid Laser-Raman system to work with a very small fiber optic endoscopic probe, and to overcome unexpected problems with recording signals.

Dr. Zeng and his team built on this success with a POP Phase 2 project funded by CIHR and their Canadian commercialization partner, Verisante Inc. Development of Laser Ramen Spectroscopy System for Melanoma Detections conducted a detailed data analysis of nearly 1000 lesions to confirm the clinical utility and diagnostic accuracy of the new technology. The project team worked to create a simplified, optimized, and cost-effective diagnostic device to move the project forward towards multi-centre clinical trials and commercialization.

Dr. Zeng and his technical and medical team worked to test and commercialize the new Verisante Aura ^TM device, capable of measuring cancer-related biochemical signatures in less than one second – providing immediate, accurate results.

Results

Popular Science magazine named the Verisante Aura ^TM a top technology innovation and honoured it with one of its Best of What's New Awards for 2011.

"It's a device that makes an immediate difference in the lives of patients and health care professionals", said Dr. Zeng. "Imagine a doctor facing a patient with 20 or 30 potentially cancerous lesions. You can't biopsy all of them, so which ones should you choose? The decisions are potentially life and death, and the biopsies can cause real patient discomfort and are costly for the health care system. With the Aura ^TM, the diagnostician can test 20 or 30 lesions in seconds. The results are immediate. And only the suspected cancer lesions are biopsied. At the same time it also minimizes the chance of cancer lesions being missed. That's a huge benefit for doctors, patients and the health care system."

Dr. Zeng's project was a multi-agency and multidisciplinary collaboration, with funding from CIHR, a research team drawn from the BC Cancer Agency, the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, and a Canadian commercialization partner in Verisante Technology, Inc.

"We built a wealth of expertise and developed new talent with this project," said Dr. Zeng. "I'm a biophysicist by training. But I worked in close collaboration with physicians, scientists and engineers to translate our research into a fully commercialized device. In addition to our diagnostic product, there is a skills legacy, with graduate students on the team growing into research fellows who in turn are training new grad students in some unique skills."

The Verisante Aura ^TM is approved for sale in Canada, Europe and Australia, and applications for US approval are underway.

Clinical trials with the Verisante Core ^TM technology for early detection of lung, colon and cervical cancers are continuing.