A Correlation of Breast Cancer and Calcium Levels in Hair Analyzed by X-Ray Fluorescence

    September 2014 in “ Journal of X-Ray Science and Technology ”
    Jun-ichi Chikawa, Yoshitaka Mouri, Hiroki Shima, Kousaku Yamada, Hitoshi Yamamoto, Shingo Yamamoto
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    Studysummary This study found that hair analysis may be useful in early breast cancer detection by identifying distinct calcium and strontium concentration patterns before and during cancer development.
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    The study observed that elemental concentrations in hair, particularly calcium (Ca), could be linked to breast cancer. Using X-ray fluorescence, researchers found that hair from breast cancer patients showed high Ca levels before cancer detection, which decreased as cancer grew. This pattern differed from chronic Ca deficiency, where Ca levels showed a long-term high, a 10-month decay, and an abrupt increase. The decay of Ca in cancer patients was accompanied by decreases in strontium (Sr) and potassium (K), explained by the action of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP). The study suggested that hair analysis could serve as an early cancer detection method by examining the Sr/Ca ratio, as hair retains a memory of the cancer process.
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