Proposal of methodology and application for diagnosing oral Cancer through smartphone

• Grant number: 21/10563-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2022
• End date: October 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Medical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Herculano da Silva Martinho
• Grantee: Letícia Marques Caviola Foiani
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Oral cancer, or Oral cancer, is a pathology that has increased its incidence in recent years. Characterized by the primary affection of the lips and structures such as the gums, cheeks, tongue, and roof of the mouth, this type of cancer has a high development rate in people with unhealthy lifestyles, including excessive smoking and alcoholism. Currently, the most used method for the diagnosis of this disease is the biopsy of the affected parts, an extremely invasive procedure, with a high cost and which usually detects the disease in advanced stages, depriving the patient of having a good prognosis. A liquid optical biopsy is an alternative diagnostic method for this disease, studies by our research group indicate that when analyzing the dry saliva of patients with oral cancer, it visually differs from healthy saliva, even when this analysis is done through a low-cost microscope built from a smartphone. However, the statistical study of the images captured during the analysis, in order to identify them as part of the carcinoma or healthy group, is a manual process that can be time-consuming, a fact that makes it impossible for the technique to be categorized as a Point of Care technology (PoC). The objective of this project is to develop an application that automates the sample study process, in a way that automatically classifies them, simplifying the diagnosis of oral cancer and making it accessible, easy and fast, even to be performed in remote areas.(AU)