Discriminating basal cell carcinoma from perilesional skin using high wave-number Raman spectroscopy

TLDR

Raman spectroscopy shows promise for skin cancer diagnosis and tumor border delineation, yet probes for the fingerprint region are complex; the high‑wave‑number region offers a simpler probe design. We investigate whether high‑wave‑number Raman spectroscopy (2800–3125 cm⁻¹) can noninvasively distinguish basal cell carcinoma from perilesional skin. Using a simple fiber‑optic probe, Raman spectra were collected from 19 BCC biopsy specimens and 9 perilesional skin samples. A linear discriminant analysis model achieved high‑accuracy discrimination between BCC and non‑involved skin, marking a key advance toward clinical dermatological Raman spectroscopy.

Abstract

An expanding body of literature suggests Raman spectroscopy is a promising tool for skin cancer diagnosis and in-vivo tumor border demarcation. The development of an in-vivo diagnostic tool is, however, hampered by the fact that construction of fiber optic probes suitable for Raman spectroscopy in the so-called fingerprint region is complicated. In contrast, the use of the high wave-number region allows for fiber optic probes with a very simple design. We investigate whether high wave-number Raman spectroscopy (2800 to 3125 cm−1) is able to provide sufficient information for noninvasive discrimination between basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and noninvolved skin. Using a simple fiber optic probe, Raman spectra are obtained from 19 BCC biopsy specimens and 9 biopsy specimens of perilesional skin. A linear discriminant analysis (LDA)-based tissue classification model is developed, which discriminates between BCC and noninvolved skin with high accuracy. This is a crucial step in the development of clinical dermatological applications based on fiber optic Raman spectroscopy.