A scientific overview of the latest optical methods for the non-invasive detection and treatment of ­cancer is ­provided by ­international biophotonics ­experts Jürgen Popp, Valery V. Tuchin and Valery Zakharov in the anthology „Multimodal ­Optical Diagnostics of ­Cancer“. It serves as a guide to optical approaches for cancer ­diagnostics and screening, for long-term monitoring to ­image-­guided intervention.

„Light-based methods are a forward-looking tool to facilitate early detection and diagnosis of cancer,“ explains Jürgen Popp. „The multimodal approach provides a wealth of information: for example, on the structure and morphology of the tissue and its molecular composition. This helps physicians make an accurate diagnosis and choose the appropriate treatment.“ Rapid advances in photonic technologies are spurring research into new diagnostic techniques, the authors said. For example, novel fiber-optic instruments could open a path to minimally invasive medicine.