FTIR microspectroscopy for improved prostate cancer diagnosis

Accurate diagnosis and prognosis is essential for cancer management but is subject to sampling and inter-observer error. In a recent study, Baker et al. compared Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy with histological pathology to evaluate prostate tissue for disease severity. The authors found that biochemical changes associated with prostate cancer could be discriminated by FTIR to classify confined and locally invasive prostate cancers. These findings could enable the development of improved diagnostic and prognostic methods for the detection and treatment of prostate cancers.