| Abstract | As a molecular probe of tissue composition, IR spectroscopy can potentiallyserve as an adjunct to histopathology in detecting and diagnosing disease. This studydemonstrates that cancerous brain tissue (astrocytoma, glioblastoma) is distinguishable from control tissue on the basis of the IR spectra of thin tissue sections. It is furthershown that the IR spectra of astrocytoma and glioblastoma affected tissue can bediscriminated from one another, thus providing insight into the malignancy grade ofthe tissue. Both the spectra and the methods employed for their classification revealcharacteristic differences in tissue composition. In particular, the nature and relativeamounts of brain lipids, including both the gangliosides and phospholipids, appear to bealtered in cancerous compared to control tissue. Using a genetic classification approach,classification success rates of up to 89% accuracy were obtained, depending on thenumber of regions included in the model. The diagnostic potential and practical applications of IR spectroscopy in brain tumor diagnosis are discussed. |
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