Label-free multiphoton imaging and photoablation of preinvasive cancer cells

Detection and treatment of early lesions in epithelial tissue offer several possibilities for curing cancer, but it is challenging. Here, we present an optical technique, the combination of multiphoton imaging and absorption, to label-freely detect and ablate preinvasive cancer cells in epithelial tissue. We find that multiphoton imaging can label-freely visualize the principal features of nuclear atypia associated with epithelial precancerous lesions, and the spatial localization of multiphoton absorption can perform targeted ablation of preinvasive cancer cells with micrometer-sized volume precision. These results indicate that this optical technique has the capability to label-freely visualize and remove preinvasive cancer cells in epithelial tissue. This study highlights the potential of this technique as a “seek-and-treat” tool for early lesions in epithelial tissue.