SPECTROSCOPIC DIAGNOSIS OF BLADDER-CANCER WITH ELASTIC LIGHT-SCATTERING

Background and Objectives: Recently, significant progress has been mad e toward the development of optical, noninvasive medical diagnostics, The goal of this study was to evaluate elastic scatter measurements as a tool for diagnosing bladder cancer. Study Design/Materials and Meth ods: In vivo measurements on 10 patients with suspected bladder cancer were made with the optical biopsy system (OBS) developed at Los Alamo s National Laboratory. Elastic-scatter spectra over the wavelength ran ge 250-800 nm were obtained using a fiber-optic probe through one of t he lumens of a urological cystoscope. Measurements were made on putati vely normal areas and areas of uncertain abnormality, as well as those suspected to be cancerous. After measurements were made with the OBS, biopsy samples were taken at the measurement sites. Comparisons of th e histopathology and the optical spectra were then made. Results and C onclusions: A diagnostic algorithm for distinguishing malignant from n onmalignant tissue based on the values of the slopes over the waveleng th range 330-370 nm has a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 97% f or the limited number of patients in this study. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc..