Correction by the skin-to-chest wall distance in near-infrared spectroscopy and assessment of breast cancer responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Background The measurement of hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations in breast cancer by near-infrared spectroscopy is useful for the assessment of responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). However, the chest wall muscles may affect this measurement. We corrected Hb concentrations based on the skin-to-chest wall distance. Corrected Hb was compared with uncorrected Hb as a marker of treatment responses in breast cancer patients.