  In this work we employ the Fourier Transform Raman Spectroscopy to study
normal and tumoral human breast tissues, including several subtypes of cancers.
We analyzed 194 Raman spectra from breast tissues that were separated into 9
groups according to their corresponding histopathological diagnosis. The
assignment of the relevant Raman bands enabled us to connect the several kinds
of breast tissues (normal and pathological) to their corresponding biochemical
moieties alterations and distinguish among 7 groups: normal breast, fibrocystic
condition, duct carcinoma-in-situ, duct carcinoma-in-situ with necrosis,
infiltrating duct carcinoma not otherwise specified, colloid infiltrating duct
carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinomas. We were able to establish the
biochemical basis for each spectrum, relating the observed peaks to specific
biomolecules that play special role in the carcinogenesis process. This work is
very useful for the premature optical diagnosis of a broad range of breast
pathologies. We noticed that we were not able to differentiate inflammatory and
medullary duct carcinomas from infiltrating duct carcinoma not otherwise
specified.
