Innate tissue fluorescence of the oral mucosa of controls and head and neck cancer patients

Base line spectral excitation and emission scans were defined for the oral inucosa in a population of 61 controls, 16 oral tongue cancer patients and 2 patients with tongue leukoplakia. A xenon-based fluorescence spectrophotometer (Mediscience Corp.) with a fiberoptic probe (Mediscience Corp.) was used to collect excitation and emission spectra. Two excitation scans (AEx 200-36Onin,).Em 38Onin;.Ex 240-43Onin,).Ern 45Oniu) and two emission scans (.Ex 300nin,.Em 320-580nm; AEx 340nm, AEm 360-660nm) were used to analyze the buccal mucosa (BM), hard palate (HP), floor of mouth (FOM) and dorsal tongue (DT) of 61 control individuals. In 41 controls the lateral tongue site (LT) was added. The same set of scans was performed on tumor lesions and contralateral normal tissues of 16 patients with lateral tongue tumors and on two individuals with leukoplakia of the tongue. Ratios of points on the individual scans were used to quantitate data. The excitation scan (AEx 200-'360nm, AEm 380nm) and the emission scan (.Ex 300nm,)Em 320-' 580nm) were able to statistically discriminate the HP and DT from the BN and FOM. The ratios of intensities of neoplastic mucosa and contralateral sites were significantly different with the excitation scans (Ex 200-360nm,).Em 380nm, p < 0.001) and (AEx 240-430nm, AEm 450nm, p < 0.01) and with the emission scan (AEx 300nm,)Em 320-'580nm, p< 0.001). Discrimination was significant with the emission scan (XEx 340nm, AEm 360-660nm, p < 0.07). Innate tissue fluorescence has potential as a monitor of cancer patients and populations at risk for head and neck cancer.