Raman spectroscopy to discriminate laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma from non-cancerous surrounding tissue

Sep 24, 2026

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Surgical management of laryngeal cancer depends on achieving adequate resection margins. This study evaluates whether Raman spectroscopy can discriminate laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma from surrounding non-cancerous tissue using ex vivo Raman mapping of resection specimens. Raman mapping results are correlated with histopathology. Water concentration and CH-stretching region analyses are performed in the 2500–4000 cm−1 range across 34 mapping experiments from 22 specimens. Discriminative information is found only in the CH-stretching region (power 0.87), while water concentration is not discriminative for laryngeal cancer.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Clinical need: resection margins in LSCC

Optical imaging techniques

Rationale for Raman spectroscopy

Lasers in Medical Science (2023) 38:193 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-023-03849-4](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-023-03849-4) Raman spectroscopy to discriminate laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma from non‑cancerous surrounding tissue Cornelia van Lanschot1,2 · Tom Bakker Schut2 · Elisa Barroso2,3 · Aniel Sewnaik1 · Jose Hardillo1 · Dominiek Monserez1 · Cees Meeuwis1 · Stijn Keereweer1 · Rob Baatenburg de Jong1 · Gerwin Puppels2 · Senada Koljenović4,5,6 Received: 9 May 2023 / Accepted: 3 August 2023 / Published online: 25 August 2023 © The Author(s) 2023 Abstract As for many solid cancers, laryngeal cancer is treated surgically, and adequate resection margins are critical for survival. Raman spectroscopy has the capacity to accurately differentiate between cancer and non-cancerous tissue based on their molecular composition, which has been proven in previous work. The aim of this study is to investigate whether Raman spectroscopy can be used to discriminate laryngeal cancer from surrounding non-cancerous tissue. Patients surgically treated for laryngeal cancer were included. Raman mapping experiments were performed ex vivo on resection specimens and correlated to histopathology. Water concentration analysis and CH-stretching region analysis were performed in the high wavenumber range of 2500–4000 cm−1 . Thirty-four mapping experiments on 22 resection specimens were used for analysis. Both laryngeal cancer and all non-cancerous tissue structures showed high water concentrations of around 75% . Discriminative information was only found to be present in the CH-stretching region of the Raman spectra of the larynx (discriminative power of 0.87) . High wavenumber region Raman spectroscopy can discriminate laryngeal cancer from non-cancerous tissue structures. Contrary to the findings for oral cavity cancer, water concentration is not a discriminating factor for laryngeal cancer. Keywords Larynx · Squamous cell carcinoma · Raman spectroscopy · High wavenumber * Cornelia van Lanschot c.vanlanschot@erasmusmc.nl 1 Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2 Center for Optical Diagnostics and Therapy, Department of Dermatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands 3 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands 4 Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands 5 Department of Pathology, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium 6 Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium Introduction Surgical treatment with adequate resection margins is an important prognostic parameter for patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) [1–3] . van Lanschot et al. described a significantly worse survival for positive margins in LSCC compared to those with close and clear. Yet, avoiding positive margins is difficult, due to the anatomy of the larynx [4] . To guide the surgeon towards an adequate resection, intra-operative assessment with frozen section analysis is often performed [4, 5], especially in cases where preservation of speech and swallowing is possible [6, 7] . However, this method is time-consuming and prone to sampling error [4, 5]. A rapid and objective technology would be of added value for the intra-operative assessment of resection margins. Various optical techniques have been investigated for this important clinical oncological need. These optical techniques have opened new perspectives because of their ease of use, high speed, and real-time and objective tissue characterization [8–11]. Narrow-band imaging (NBI), autofluorescence (AF), contact endoscopy (CE), optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescence imaging (FLI

FAQs

What clinical problem does this study address in laryngeal cancer surgery?

It addresses the need for adequate resection margins in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, where positive margins worsen survival and intra-operative assessment is challenging.

How was Raman spectroscopy used in the study?

Patients undergoing surgery were included, and ex vivo Raman mapping was performed on resection specimens, then correlated with histopathology.

Which Raman spectral region provided discriminatory information?

Discriminative information was found only in the CH-stretching region of the Raman spectra, with a discriminative power of 0.87.

Sep 24, 2026

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