Visible light optical spectroscopy is sensitive to neovascularization in the dysplastic cervix

Neovascularization in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is studied because it is the precursor to the third most common female cancer worldwide. Diffuse reflectance from 450-600 nm was collected from 46 patients (76 sites) undergoing colposcopy at Duke University Medical Center. Total hemoglobin, derived using an inverse Monte Carlo model, significantly increased in CIN 2+ (N=12) versus CIN 1 (N=16) and normal tissues (N=48) combined with P<0.004. Immunohistochemistry using monoclonal anti-CD34 was used to quantify microvessel density to validate the increased hemoglobin content. Biopsies from 51 sites were stained, and up to three hot spots per slide were selected for microvessel quantification by two observers. Similar to the optical study results, microvessel density was significantly increased in CIN 2+ (N=16) versus CIN 1 (N=21) and normal tissue (N=14) combined with P<0.007. Total vessel density, however, was not significantly associated with dysplastic grade. Hence, our quantitative optical spectroscopy system is primarily sensitive to dysplastic neovascularization immediately beneath the basement membrane, with minimal confounding from vascularity inherent in the normal stromal environment. This tool could have potential for in vivo applications in screening for cervical cancer, prognostics, and monitoring of antiangiogenic effects in chemoprevention therapies.