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Development Of Quantitative Molecular Photoacoustic Imaging For Noninvasive Cancer Diagnostics, Cayla Zandbergen

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Traditional diagnostic imaging provides clinicians with anatomical information that guides both diagnosis and treatment planning; however, once a tumor has progressed enough to be visible, it has often reached an advanced stage. Molecular imaging techniques allow for real-time visualization of chemical and biological processes via imaging of specific biomarkers, which can facilitate detection of malignancies before they become visible. One biomarker of interest is blood oxygen saturation (SO₂) due to its correlation with hypoxia, which is associated with increased tumor malignancy; some studies have also established SO₂ as an independent biomarker of disease progression. Additionally, because cancerous …