SENSITIVE SPECTRAL RANGES IN RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY AS MARKERS OF PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE ORAL CAVITY

Oral cancer is one of the most common malignancies of the head and neck, characterized by high mortality due to late diagnosis. Existing screening methods have limited sensitivity, making early detection of precancerous and malignant conditions challenging. Raman spectroscopy is a promising method for analyzing biochemical changes in saliva, which may enable more effective early cancer detection. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of Raman spectroscopy for the non-invasive diagnosis of oral cavity pathologies and to identify spectral ranges that could serve as markers of malignant changes. Material and methods. The study included 200 patients divided into four groups: a control group, patients with oral lichen planus, leukoplakia, and squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Saliva samples were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy with a 785 nm laser. Statistical data processing included analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-tests. Results. The analysis revealed that the spectral ranges of 1450-1580 cm⁻¹ and 1580–1700 cm⁻¹ showed significant differences between healthy and pathological samples. The cancer group exhibited decreased spectral intensity, while the precancerous groups showed increased intensity, reflecting biochemical changes in proteins and lipids. Conclusion. Raman spectroscopy could be an effective tool for the early diagnosis of oral cancer. The identified spectral ranges may be used to differentiate pathological conditions. Further research should focus on expanding the sample size, standardizing spectral analysis methods, and implementing machine learning algorithms for automated diagnosis.