Differential Rapid Diagnosis of Endometrial Cancer and Its Benign Pathological Conditions Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

The purpose of this study is to improve the efficiency of early diagnosis of endometrial cancer using the analysis of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of blood plasma. Blood plasma of patients aged 22 to 79 years was investigated. The study included 95 women. All patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1 consists of 29 women with endometrial adenocarcinoma, group 2 − 31 patients with endometrial polyp, group 3 – 10 women with endometrial hyperplasia. A control group consisted of 25 healthy women. The SERS spectra of dried samples were studied on an experimental stand consisting of a Photon-Bio RL785 spectrometric system based on a charge-coupled device (CCD) detector and a laser radiation source with a wavelength of 785 nm and an ADF U300 microscope. In order to realize the effect of surface enhancement of the Raman signal from blood plasma, we used a silver substrate based on a dried silver colloid. In the result of the study, the spectral features and specific features which characteristic of adenocarcinoma, polyps and endometrial hyperplasia were determined. With the use of discriminant analysis by projection onto latent structures (PLS-DA) method, the accuracy of optical diagnostics of endometrial adenocarcinoma relative to the control group and endometrial hyperplasia for the calibration and verification sets of spectra was 87% and 85%, respectively. Class discrimination accuracy of the control group with respect to endometrial hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma was 85%, and endometrial hyperplasia relative to the control group and endometrial adenocarcinoma was 81% for the verification set of spectra. The study shows the possibility of using SERS for differential express diagnostics of endometrial cancer and its benign pathological conditions.