ABSTRACT

The general features of neoplastic cells exhibit specific changes in nucleic acid, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate quantities and/or conformations [1]. Proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids are the marker molecules, which may be indicative of neoplasia, and changes in these molecules might be expected. Not surprisingly, both the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies, due to their fingerprint character, can be used to describe and recognise the changes that take place in cancer cells. Several studies elucidate the spectral features of cancer cells and their various components such as collagen. The Raman spectrum of a sample corresponds to the characteristic molecular groups in the sample, and the technique can give detailed information on changes in structure and composition of the cellular molecules [2] and can provide important diagnostic information. These features can potentially be used as diagnostic parameters to identify malignant tumours. This chapter provides a summary of the changes that different researchers have found at the molecular level of cancer cells using FTIR and Raman spectroscopy.