Biophysical Basis of Skin Cancer Margin Assessment Using Raman Spectroscopy
December 2018
in “
Biomedical Optics Express
”
Studysummary In this study, researchers observed that Raman spectroscopy effectively differentiates basal cell carcinoma from normal skin structures by analyzing biochemical markers, suggesting its potential as a surgical guidance tool for cancer margin resection during Mohs surgery.
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The study explored the use of Raman spectroscopy for assessing tumor margins during skin cancer surgery, specifically basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Conducted on skin tissue samples from 30 patients undergoing Mohs surgery, the research found high correlations between histopathology and Raman images for BCC and normal structures. The study identified significant biochemical differences in nucleus, keratin, collagen, triolein, and ceramide concentrations between BCC and normal tissues, with the nucleus providing the most discriminant power (90% sensitivity, 92% specificity). These findings suggested that Raman spectroscopy could be a promising tool for guiding surgical resection of BCC margins.
