The label-free Raman imaging of human breast cancer

Here we report the Raman 'optical biopsy' images of the human cancerous breast tissue. The results demonstrate the ability of label-free Raman spectroscopy to accurately characterize cancer tissue and distinguish between normal, and malignant types. The results provide evidence that the composition of carotenoids and lipids in the cancerous breast tissues differs significantly from that of the surrounding normal breast tissue. We have found that the fatty acid composition in the cancerous breast tissue is greatly different from that in the surrounding normal breast tissue of the same patient. Raman spectra of the normal breast tissue are dominated by monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid). In contrast, the arachidonic acid-derived cyclic eicosanoids catalyzed by cyclooxygenase dominate the Raman spectra in the cancerous breast tissue. Up to date the present study is the most statistically reliable Raman analysis in the world based on data for 150 patients. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.