CHARACTERISTIC VISIBLE FLUORESCENCE EMISSION-SPECTRA OF SERA FROM CANCER-PATIENTS

The feasibility of using visible fluorimetry as a simple spectroscopic method for cancer diagnosis and/or management was investigated by rec ording the visible fluorescence emission spectra of sera from cancer p atients and healthy individuals. Characteristic visible fluorescence e mission spectra were found to occur in sera of some cancer patients, e .g., patients with breast or lung cancer, with spectral features simil ar to those observed among porphyrin and porphyrin-related compounds. Possible physico-chemical factors responsible for the occurrence of th ese unique visible fluorescence features among cancer patients were br iefly discussed.