Raman spectroscopy for in vivo, non-invasive detection of dysplasia of the cervix

Raman spectroscopy has been shown to have the potential for providing differential diagnosis in the cervix with high sensitivity and specificity in previous in vitro and in vivo studies. Two clinical studies further evaluated the potential of near infrared Raman spectroscopy to detect cervical dysplasia in a clinical setting. In the first study, the Raman spectral features of the different pathologies found in the cervix were characterized and mathematical algorithms were developed to classify the spectra according to pathology. The second study examined and quantified the sources of spectral variability within a given pathology. Experiments using organotypic raft cultures examined the biochemical and cellular basis for the spectral differences seen between normal and dysplastic tissue. These studies have laid the foundation for the development of Raman spectroscopy as a non-invasive, real-time diagnostic tool for cervical dysplasia.