Raman spectroscopic signatures of prostate cancer progression: correlation with gleason score

Prostate cancer (CaP) is a heterogeneous malignancy, and its grading via Gleason scoring is essential for prognosis and therapeutic decision‑making. However, traditional histopathological methods are limited in detecting subtle biochemical variations. This study applies Raman spectroscopy (RS) to formalin‑fixed paraffin‑embedded (FFPE) CaP tissues of varying Gleason scores to uncover biochemical signatures associated with tumor aggressiveness. Raman spectral analysis reveals distinct molecular alterations particularly in lipid, protein, and nucleic acid content that differ across Gleason patterns reflecting grade‑associated biochemical differences rather than any biological progression between patterns. Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) of Raman data enables discrimination between benign prostate tissue and higher‑grade cancer (Gleason ≥ 7) included in this study and stratifies the analyzed Gleason patterns. Our goal in this initial study was not to define definitive Raman biomarkers but to evaluate whether consistent biochemical differences across Gleason grades could be detected in FFPE tissue. Our findings support the potential of Raman spectroscopy as a label‑free, non‑destructive adjunct to conventional histopathology for improved CaP stratification.