Direct observation of spectral differences between normal and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) tissues using confocal Raman microscopy

Raman spectroscopy has strong potential for providing noninvasive dermatological diagnosis of skin cancer. In this study, confocal Roman microscopy was applied to the dermatological diagnosis for one of the most common skin cancers, basal cell carcinoma (BCC). BCC tissues were obtained from 10 BCC patients using a routine biopsy and used for confocal Roman measurements. Autofluorescence signals from tissues, which interfere with the Roman signals, were greatly reduced using a confocal slit adjustment. Distinct Roman band differences between normal and BCC tissues for the amide I mode and the PO ₂^- symmetric stretching mode showed that this technique has strong potential for use as a dermatological diagnostic tool without the need for statistical treatment of spectral data. It was also possible to precisely differentiate BCC tissue from surrounding noncancerous tissue using the confocal Roman depth profiling technique. We propose that confocal Roman microscopy provides a novel method for dermatological diagnosis since direct observations of spectral differences between normal and BCC tissues are possible.