Diagnosis of human breast cancer through wavelet transform of polarized fluorescence

Abstract

Wavelet transform of polarized fluorescence spectroscopic data of human breast tissues is found to reliably differentiate normal and malignant tissue types and isolate characteristic biochemical signatures of cancerous tissues, which can possibly be used for diagnostic purpose. A number of parameters capturing spectral variations and subtle changes in the diseased tissues in the visible wavelength regime are clearly identifiable in the wavelet domain. These investigations, corroborated with tissue phantoms, indicate that the observed differences between malignant tumor and normal samples are primarily ascribable to the changes in concentration of porphyrin and density of cellular organelles present in tumors.