Raman Spectroscopy and Advanced Statistics for Cancer Diagnostics

Abstract

While many cancers can be detected, current diagnostic efforts exhibit definite room for improvement. It is imperative that a person be diagnosed with cancer as early on in its progression as possible. An earlier diagnosis allows for the best treatment and intervention options available to be presented. Unfortunately, existing methods for diagnosing cancer can be expensive, invasive, inconclusive, or inaccurate, and are not always made during initial stages of disease progression. As such, there is a crucial unmet need to develop a singular universal method that is reliable, cost-effective, and non-invasive and can diagnose all forms of cancer early on. Raman spectroscopy in combination with advanced statistical analysis is offered here as a potential solution for this need. Recently published research in which Raman spectroscopy was used for the purpose of diagnosing cancer is reviewed. The benefits and the risks of the methodology are presented; however, there is overwhelming evidence that suggests Raman spectroscopy is highly suitable for becoming the first universal method to be used for diagnosing cancer.