title: Detection of squamous cell carcinoma and corresponding biomarkers using optical spectroscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Investigate the use of optical reflectance spectroscopy to differentiate malignant and nonmalignant tissues in head and neck lesions and characterize corresponding oxygen tissue biomarkers that are associated with pathologic diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary Veterans Administration Medical Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients undergoing panendoscopy with biopsy for suspected head and neck cancer were eligible. Prior to taking tissue samples, the optical probe was placed at 3 locations to collect diffuse reflectance data. These locations were labeled "tumor," "immediately adjacent," and "distant normal tissue." Biopsies were taken of each of these respective sites. The diffuse reflectance spectra were analyzed, and biomarker-specific absorption data were extracted using an inverse Monte Carlo algorithm for malignant and nonmalignant tissues. Histopathological analysis was performed and used as the gold standard to analyze the optical biomarker data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one patients with mucosal squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were identified and selected to participate in the study. Statistically significant differences in oxygen saturation (P = .001) and oxygenated hemoglobin (P = .019) were identified between malignant and nonmalignant tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study established proof of principle that optical spectroscopy can be used in the head and neck areas to detect malignant tissue. Furthermore, tissue biomarkers were correlated with a diagnosis of malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: H Wolfgang
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Beumer
authors.forename: Karthik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vishwanath
authors.forename: Liana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puscas
authors.forename: Hamid R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Afshari
authors.forename: Nimmi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ramanujam
authors.forename: Walter T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006454:Hemoglobins; D010100:Oxygen