Cancer grading by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Spectroscopy
• Cancer Research
• Biophysics

Background:

• Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a valuable tool for analyzing biological tissues.
• Assessing the clinicopathological grade of lymphoid tumors is crucial for treatment planning.
• Previous studies noted spectral changes in tissues but did not propose a specific grading index.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of FTIR spectroscopy in grading lymphoid tumors.
• To identify spectral markers correlated with tumor malignancy and grade.
• To propose a new spectral index for cancer grading.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 39 freeze-dried tissue samples from 17 lymphoid tumors using FTIR spectroscopy.
• Measurement of absorbance ratios, specifically A1121/A1020.
• Correlation of spectral data with clinicopathological tumor grade.

Main Results:

• The absorbance ratio A1121/A1020 increased with increasing clinicopathological grade of malignant lymphoma.
• An absorbance pulse at 1121 cm-1 emerged with higher tumor grades.
• Absorbance due to collagen increased with lymphoma grade, higher in benign inflammatory tumors than low-grade lymphomas.

Conclusions:

• The A1121/A1020 ratio shows potential as a universal cancer-grading parameter.
• This spectral index may assist in cancer treatment decisions and analysis of drug-induced cellular changes.
• FTIR microscopy can apply these findings to tissue sections for morphological correlation and spatial resolution.