Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
cells, including a majority of cancers, manifest themselves in different opti-
cal signatures, which can be detected by spectroscopy. In this research, this
technique was employed to investigate whether morphological changes in
DCIS and IDC grades translate into compositional differences.
The results obtained in this study have demonstrated that it is possible to
identify differences between the normal and the cancerous tissue accurately,
and also differentiate between the different nuclear grades of DCIS and IDC
with confidence. The differences in the intensity and positioning of peaks in
the spectra are attributed to the compositional changes between the differ-
ent tumours. The variation in intensity of these peaks is due to the variation
in the amount of lipids, proteins, and DNA contents present in the breast
carcinoma.
Currently a number of clinical diagnostic techniques, such as imaging
by computed tomography (CT) and MRI are widely used. However, it is
extremely difficult to obtain chemical structural information in vivo. There
is a need to develop a clinical diagnostic technique that can offer chemical
analysis of the tissue, thus helping clinicians to not only detect the cancer,
but its type and classification of nuclear grades.
A standardised method of analysis using spectroscopy could only be
achieved by consensus of pathologists and spectroscopists. A combina-
tion of both would further enhance the diagnosis by removing some of the
interobserver variation of individual pathologists. Although the technique
is quite specialised, a comprehensive computer database, minimal training,
and expertise will be required.
Spectroscopy appears to be a valuable technique in the armoury of
pathologists for clinical diagnosis of cancerous tissue. Microspectroscopic
methods can be applied to breast tissue samples mounted on slides. This is a
nondestructive technique and even after the spectroscopic analysis, samples
can be used for further investigations. The technique could also be valuable
in studying archived samples, ultimately helping in the continuous moni-
toring of the patients for years. Spectroscopy could be a valuable clinical
evaluation system for regular monitoring of the effects of therapies (chemo-
and radio-therapy) and to assist in predicting the type and progression of
the disease.
Future Work
Some interesting ideas could be introduced to carry out the next steps of this
research:
• The technique could be tried on fresh tissue. It would be extremely
useful to compare the spectral data both from fresh and embedded
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