Biomedical applications of vibrational spectroscopy: Oral cancer diagnostics

Vibrational spectroscopy, based on either infrared absorption or Raman scattering, has attracted increasing attention for biomedical applications. Proof of concept explorations for diagnosis of oral potentially malignant disorders and cancer are reviewed, and recent advances critically appraised. Specific examples of applications of Raman microspectroscopy for analysis of histological, cytological and saliva samples are presented for illustrative purposes, and the future prospects, ultimately for routine, chairside in vivo screening are discussed. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Vibrational spectroscopy, whether based on infrared absorption or Raman scattering, has increasingly attracted attention for biomedical applications. Proof of concept explorations have shown potential for diagnosis of oral potentially malignant disorders and cancer. Raman microspectroscopy is being widely applied for analysis of histological, cytological, and saliva samples, with future prospects for routine in vivo screening.