Vibrational Spectroscopy and Cancer - Vibrational Spectroscopy for Tissue Analysis - page 57

R. A. Shaw and H. H. Mantsch [41] published a historical perspective on
different applications of vibrational biospectroscopy. The focus of this
review is biological and medical applications of near-infrared (NIR) Raman
spectroscopy. It is mentioned that as these methods are finding new niches
in medical realms, and are proving to be valuable (but not infallible) adjuncts
to conventional spectral interpretation.
Other Biological Molecules
Schultz and Baranska published a detailed review study on identification
of plant substances by infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy. Their article
provides the characteristic bands for identifying different chemical bands
such as proteins, lipids, saccharides, etc. Although this work is concentrated
on plant samples, because almost all of these substances exist in cells and
tissues, the results and conclusions could be successfully used in biological
studies. In addition, with the information presented in this paper, a compari-
son between the two methods of spectroscopy, namely IR and Raman, can
be conducted [45].
Moreira et al. reported a detailed review of the recent applications of
Raman spectroscopy on biochemical analysis and diagnosis of several
biological materials [46]. It was concluded that the technique can promote a
significant improvement in the chemical identification and characterization
of biological systems, clinical diagnosis, and prognosis regarding several
diseases and quality of life of innumerous patients. The study also reveals
that the potential for sample characterization with Raman spectroscopy
associated with the possibility of analysis in situ makes this instrumental
technique a very auspicious tool of biochemical analysis.
Breast Cancer
Krishna et al. reviewed a Raman spectroscopic approach to metabolic fin-
gerprinting in breast cancer detection [47]. This review opens with a brief
background on anatomical and etiological aspects of breast cancers. It then
presents an overview of conventional detection approaches in breast cancer
screening and diagnosis methods, followed by a concise note on the basics
of optical spectroscopy and its applications in the screening/diagnosis of
breast malignancy. The authors also present the recent developments in
Raman spectroscopic diagnosis of breast cancers.