Differentiation between normal renal tissue and renal cell carcinoma using optical coherence tomography (OCT): a prospective human in-vivo study.

Differentiation between benign and malignant (small) renal mass by radiological
means is difficult and therefore up to 30% of surgery for renal mass is
unnecessary. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a technique that may
contribute to improvement of the accuracy of such renal mass.
OCT is an imaging technique analogous to ultrasound exept for the fact that it
employs light- in stead of soundwaves. OCT measures the effective reflection of
light in dephth of a tissue sample. When a ray of light penetrates into a
tissue sample the intensity of the light decreases due to scattering and
absorption of light by different structures in the tissue sample (such as
nuclei and organelles).

Our hypothesis is that OCT can differentiate malignant from benign tissue by
objectivating the decrease of light intensity per milimeter, since the
attenuation of light intensity is hypothetically higer in malignant tissue due
to the larger size and amount of nuclei and organelles whch results in a higer
degree of scattering and absorption of light. This attenuation is objectivated
as the attenuation-coefficient (or µt).

Demonstrate the ability of OCT to distinguish malignant renal tissue from
benign (normal) renal tissue by means of attenuation-coefficient.

This study is an observational cohort-study with patients scheduled for surgery
for a renal mass suspect for malignancy.

OCT is harmless for human beings since it is light-based with a wavelength of
1300 nm.
Since all measurements take place during surgery there are no extra visits
necessary.
The operation time is slightly prolonged (max. 5 minutes with a (partial)
nephrectomy usually taking about 2 hours of operation time).