Rapid mapping of fiber network reorganization by multiphoton imaging reveals histopathological signatures in unprocessed lung tumor tissue

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in China, necessitating rapid and accurate intraoperative tissue assessment. Current histopathological methods are complex, time-consuming, and subjective. Thus, this study explores label-free multiphoton microscopy (MPM) for imaging collagen and elastin fibers in fresh, unprocessed lung adenocarcinoma tissues. Results show that MPM can rapidly capture fiber architecture without tissue processing. Quantitative image analysis was used to extract spatial fiber features for distinguishing cancerous from normal tissues. These findings demonstrate MPM’s potential as a fast, accurate intraoperative diagnostic tool, improving surgical margin assessment and patient outcomes.