Raman spectral properties of squamous cell carcinoma of oral tissues and cells

Early diagnosis is the key of the improved survival rates of oral cancer. Raman spectroscopy is sensitive to the early changes of molecular composition and structure that occur in benign lesion during carcinogenesis. In this study, in situ Raman analysis provided distinct spectra that can be used to discriminate between normal and malignant tissues, as well as normal and cancer cells. The biochemical variations between different groups were analyzed by the characteristic bands by comparing the normalized mean spectra. Spectral profiles of normal, malignant conditions show pronounced differences between one another, and multiple Raman markers associated with DNA and protein vibrational modes have been identified that exhibit excellent discrimination power for cancer sample identification. Statistical analyses of the Raman data and classification using principal component analysis (PCA) are shown to be effective for the Raman spectral diagnosis of oral mucosal diseases. The results indicate that the biomolecular differences between normal and malignant conditions are more obviously at the cellular level. This technique could provide a research foundation for the Raman spectral diagnosis of oral mucosal diseases.