Phosphorescence and fluorescence spectroscopy for detection of cancer and pre-cancer from normal/benign regions

The present application is directed to methods for detecting cancerous, pre-cancerous and benign/normal tissue using phosphorescence or the combination of fluorescence and phosphorescence emission from the tissue excited in 280 to 340 nm range. In particular, the application describes methods using a ratio of intensity of fluorescence emission to intensity of phosphorescence emission to provide a rapid cancer, pre-cancer and benign detection method. Normal human breast and prostate tissue, excited in 270 to 300 nm range, express the emission signatures at 340 nm, 440 nm and 500 nm. Cancerous tissue shows only minor emissions at 500 nm, thus the ratio of 340 nm peak to 500 nm peak emission intensities provides information about malignancy of a tissue. Fiber optic based instrumentation can be used to collect the luminescence signal from an area of a tissue less than 1 mm in diameter and using the described method can be screened to determine the state of the tissue sample taken. The combination of fiber optics and 2D translation stage provides 2D maps of intensity's ratio of the tissue surface and aids in localizing the malignancy region of the tissue.