Targeted imaging of flat and depressed colonic neoplasms.

Molecular imaging is a rapidly growing new discipline in gastrointestinal endoscopy that involves the development of novel imaging probes and instruments to visualize the molecular expression pattern of mucosa in the digestive tract. Several platforms for imaging agents, including antibody and peptide, are being developed to target over expressed biomolecules in cancer. In addition, novel imaging instruments, including fluorescence endoscopy and confocal microscopy, are being developed to provide wide-area surveillance and microscopic examination, respectively. These methods are being applied to detect the presence of flat and depressed colonic neoplasms and to identify tumor margins.