Raman spectroscopy for the discrimination of cancerous and normal skin

Abstract: Various studies have shown promising results in using Raman spectroscopy (RS) for the detection of skin cancers. In-vivo evaluations showed similar results to those found by trained dermatologists using dermoscopy, the current clinical practice for skin cancer diagnosis. However, dermoscopy is highly subjective which would make an objective, non-invasive diagnostic method useful. Although successful results were achieved, RS is barely applied in clinical routine yet. This review summarizes studies of Raman spectroscopy for skin cancer diagnosis ex vivo and in vivo. The latter has special demands that often lead to a tradeoff between applicability and classification performance. The necessary steps are explained for instrumentation design, handling, data analysis and clinical testing on groups with a sufficient amount of subjects in order to promote the application of RS in a routine clinical setting. A number of methods are summarized which attempt to overcome the ongoing challenge of reducing large background signals. Modifications of RS by combination with other diagnostic methods are summarized that can give a new perspective to future developments in RS.