The potentialities of diffuse optical spectroscopy for the noninvasive estimation of the oxygen state of experimental tumors have been demonstrated. The distribution of total, oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, as well as the level oxygen saturation of blood have been shown using two tumor models differing in the histological structure and functional characteristics. The results obtained by the optical method have been verified by immunohistochemical examination of tissue specimens with the exogenous hypoxia marker pimonidazole.