A new approach for the detection of cervical cancer in Thai women.

Objectives: The objective was to screen cervical cell samples of Thai women by using the Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry technique; the results were compared to the histologic diagnosis (gold standard).

Methods: FTIR spectrophotometry is a new technology for cervical cancer screening. Instead of detecting the morphological changes as used in Pap smear test, this technique detects, at the molecular level, structural changes of functional groups through the changes of the infrared absorption spectrum.