ArticleCancer imaging : the official publication of the International Cancer Imaging Society2023
Three-dimensional analysis of human pancreatic cancer specimens by phase-contrast based X-ray tomography - the next dimension of diagnosis.
Article in Cancer imaging : the official publication of the International Cancer Imaging Society, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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13 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Deep-learning triage of three-dimensional pathology datasets for comprehensive and efficient pathologist assessments.Nature biomedical engineering · 2026Article
- Evolution of hierarchical phase-contrast tomography on the European Synchrotron beamlines BM05 and BM18: a whole adult human brain imaging case study.Journal of synchrotron radiation · 2026Article
- Registration-based 3D Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy and 2D histology image fusion tool for pathological specimen.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Label-free 3D virtual histology of human formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) prostate needle biopsies with propagation-based phase-contrast micro-CT (PBCT).bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Rapid autofluorescence based 3D optical imaging of the pancreatic cancer milieu at mesoscopic scale - stain-free volumetric segmentation.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Three-dimensional high-content imaging of unstained soft tissue with subcellular resolution using a laboratory-based X-ray microscope.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- [Virtual histopathology of the pancreas: 3D insights using synchrotron-based imaging].Pathologie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Synchrotron X-ray imaging of soft biological tissues - principles, applications and future prospects.Journal of cell science · 2024Review
- The potential of x-ray virtual histology in the diagnosis of skin tumors.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2024Article
- Multiscale and multimodal imaging for three-dimensional vascular and histomorphological organ structure analysis of the pancreas.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- In focus in HCB.Histochemistry and cell biology · 2023Article
- Feasibility and safety of synchrotron-based X-ray phase contrast imaging as a technique complementary to histopathology analysis.Histochemistry and cell biology · 2023Article
- X-ray phase-contrast 3D virtual histology characterises complex tissue architecture in colorectal cancer.Frontiers in gastroenterology (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2023Article
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6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe worldwide increase of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which still has one of the lowest survival rates, requires novel imaging tools to improve early detection and to refine diagnosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of propagation-based phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography of already paraffin-embedded and unlabeled human pancreatic tumor tissue to achieve a detailed three-dimensional (3D) view of the tumor sample in its entirety.
methodsPunch biopsies of areas of particular interest were taken from paraffin blocks after initial histological analysis of hematoxylin and eosin stained tumor sections. To cover the entire 3.5 mm diameter of the punch biopsy, nine individual tomograms with overlapping regions were acquired in a synchrotron parallel beam configuration and stitched together after data reconstruction. Due to the intrinsic contrast based on electron density differences of tissue components and a voxel size of 1.3 μm achieved PDAC and its precursors were clearly identified.
resultsCharacteristic tissue structures for PDAC and its precursors, such as dilated pancreatic ducts, altered ductal epithelium, diffuse immune cell infiltrations, increased occurrence of tumor stroma and perineural invasion were clearly identified. Certain structures of interest were visualized in three dimensions throughout the tissue punch. Pancreatic duct ectasia of different caliber and atypical shape as well as perineural infiltration could be contiguously traced by viewing serial tomographic slices and by applying semi-automatic segmentation. Histological validation of corresponding sections confirmed the former identified PDAC features.
conclusionIn conclusion, virtual 3D histology via phase-contrast X-ray tomography visualizes diagnostically relevant tissue structures of PDAC in their entirety, preserving tissue integrity in label-free, paraffin embedded tissue biopsies. In the future, this will not only enable a more comprehensive diagnosis but also a possible identification of new 3D imaging tumor markers.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.