Abstract
Fourier domain low coherence interferometry (fLCI) is an emerging optical technique used to quantitatively assess cell nuclear morphology in tissue as a means of detecting early cancer development. In this work, we use the azoxymethane rat carcinogenesis model, a well characterized and established model for colon cancer research, to demonstrate the ability of fLCI to distinguish between normal and preneoplastic ex-vivo colon tissue. The results show highly statistically significant differences between the measured cell nuclear diameters of normal and azoxymethane-treated tissues, thus providing strong evidence that fLCI may be a powerful tool for non-invasive, quantitative detection of early changes associated with colorectal cancer development.