Effect of hormonal variation on Raman spectra for cervical disease detection.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to characterize the variations in normal cervical spectra because of menopausal status and location within the menstrual cycle. Using the information obtained, the accuracy of Raman spectroscopy to diagnose low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LGSIL) will be improved. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 133 patients undergoing either colposcopy or Papanicolaou smear were recruited from either Vanderbilt University or Tri-State Women's Health. Raman spectra were collected from both normal and diseased areas. The data were processed and analyzed using a multiclass discrimination and classification algorithm to determine whether the spectra were correctly classified. RESULTS: Stratifying the data by menopausal state resulted in correctly classifying LGSIL 97% of the time (from 74%). CONCLUSION: This study brings Raman spectroscopy one step closer to clinical use by improving the sensitivity to differentiate LGSIL from normal.