Early express diagnosis of the head and neck skin tumors in raman scattering light microspectroscopy

Early noninvasive diagnosis of tumors is one of the most important strategic directions for developing practical health care. Skin neoplasms are characterized by a high prevalence and require close attention from doctors and scientists to the methods of their diagnosis. Late treatment of patients with these conditions leads to a decrease in their quality of life, more invasive interventions, a significant economic burden, and other adverse consequences. Therefore, optical diagnostic methods that allow noninvasive, quick, and accurate determining of the type of tumor are of interest. Objective. To study the possibilities of using confocal Raman microspectroscopy and fluorescence with an excitation radiation wavelength of 785 nm for the differential diagnosis of head and neck skin neoplasms. Materials and methods. The Confotec MR520 Raman microscope, operating at an excitation radiation wavelength of 785 nm, was used during the study. Spectra were recorded from the surface of tissue fragments in benign neoplasms (dermal nevi), basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, and intact head and neck skin. The spectrometric pattern was correlated with the results of the histological examination. Results. We obtained the spectral characteristics of tissues of intact skin and skin tumors (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin of the head and neck, as well as dermal nevi). The study demonstrated the possibility of using confocal Raman microspectroscopy to diagnose and determine resection boundaries in head and neck skin neoplasms. Conclusion. The obtained results indicate the possibility of considering confocal Raman microspectroscopy as an auxiliary method of early rapid identification of skin neoplasms. In the future, this method can be informative in indicating the tumor process in skin cancers and in determining the boundaries of tumor resection. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.