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Spectroscopic ‘Fingerprints’ Diagnose Brain Tumors

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A breakthrough in brain tumor diagnosis uses infrared and Raman spectroscopy to differentiate healthy from diseased tissue based on individual biochemical-cell “fingerprints.”

Currently, it is difficult for surgeons to determine where the tumor ends and normal tissue begins.

But now research from Lancaster University has shown that Raman spectroscopy, a method that works effectively on living tissue, makes it possible to spot the difference between cancer and normal tissue, yielding accurate results in seconds. The new technique, which is coupled with statistical analysis, makes it theoretically possible to test living tissue during surgery, helping doctors remove the complete tumor while preserving adjacent healthy tissue.

The fingerprinting method can also help identify whether the tumor originated in the brain or at an unknown primary site. This could help reveal previously undetected cancer elsewhere in the body, improving patient outcomes.

“These are really exciting developments which could lead to significant improvements for individual patients diagnosed with brain tumors,” said professor Francis Martin. “We and other research teams are now working towards a sensor which can be used during brain surgery to give surgeons precise information about the tumor and tissue type that they are operating on.”

The method can be combined with conventional methods, such as immunohistochemistry, to diagnose and grade brain tumors, which could enable more accurate planning and execution of surgery or radiation therapy and increase survival rates.

The findings appeared online this month in Analytical Methods.

For more information, visit: www.lancs.ac.uk
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Published: September 2012
Glossary
immunohistochemistry
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a method for detecting antigens or haptens in cells of a tissue section by using labeled antibodies to bind specifically to their antigens. IHC is used for disease diagnosis, biological research and in drug development. Using IHC visualized tumor markers such as enzymes, oncogenes and tumor-specific antigens, physicians can diagnose if a tumor is benign or malignant and determine the stage and grade of a cancer.
infrared spectroscopy
The measurement of the ability of matter to absorb, transmit or reflect infrared radiation and the relating of the resultant data to chemical structure.
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
raman spectroscopy
Raman spectroscopy is a technique used in analytical chemistry and physics to study vibrational, rotational, and other low-frequency modes in a system. Named after the Indian physicist Sir C.V. Raman who discovered the phenomenon in 1928, Raman spectroscopy provides information about molecular vibrations by measuring the inelastic scattering of monochromatic light. Here is a breakdown of the process: Incident light: A monochromatic (single wavelength) light, usually from a laser, is...
sensor
1. A generic term for detector. 2. A complete optical/mechanical/electronic system that contains some form of radiation detector.
Basic Sciencebiochemical-cell fingerprintBiophotonicsbrain cancerbrain tumor diagnosisbrain tumorsdiseased tissue distinctionEnglandEuropeFrancis Martinhealthy tissue distinctionImagingimmunohistochemistryinfrared spectroscopyLancaster Universityliving tissuephotonicsradiation therapyRaman spectroscopyResearch & TechnologysensorSensors & Detectorsspectroscopy

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