Diagnosis of Breast Cancer by X-Ray Diffraction of Hair

The study analyzed hair fibers from women with breast cancer using synchrotron-derived X-ray diffraction and identified a unique feature in the diffraction patterns, a ring with a molecular spacing of 4.76 ± 0.07 nm, which was absent in hair from women without breast cancer. The results were consistent across different hairs from the same subject and different synchrotron beamlines. The study highlighted the importance of sample handling, exposure, and image analysis methodologies. The findings suggested that X-ray diffraction of hair could potentially serve as a non-invasive test for detecting breast cancer, although independent confirmation was still needed.