Detection of breast cancer using non-invasive X-ray diffraction technique of hair: A preliminary study

Background: An early diagnosis of breast cancer relates directly to an accurate treatment plan and strategy. Early detection of breast cancer before its development would be a significant reduction of morbidity and mortality rates. The aim of this preliminary study is to investigate the sensitivity of Wide Angle X-ray diffraction (WAXRD) method on women hair samples of healthy and breast cancer patients in comparison with other modalities such as synchrotron based XRD beam and mammography. Materials and Methods: Hair samples were taken from occipital region of skull from healthy and breast cancer patients (43 women) were analyzed using  X-ray diffraction and the results were analyzed and compared with mammography and pathology reports. Results: The results of analyzed samples showed the sensitivity for purposed WAXRD method was 86% in comparison with synchrotron based XRD beam (64%) and also with mammography (70%). Conclusion: This non-invasive method is less harmful and is more sensitive than the two other methods and help the physicians for choosing accurate treatment plan.