Non Invasive XRF Analysis of Human Hair for Health State Determination of Breast Tissue

Abstract

Background:Using hair samples to analyze the trace element concentrations is of interest among many researchers. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are the most common methods in studying the structure and concentration of elements of tissues and also crystalline materials, using low energy X-ray.Objectives:In the present study, the detection ability of Wave Length X-ray Fluorescence (WLXRF) of breast cancer at early stages was evaluated and the results were compared with other routine modalities such as mammography.Materials and Methods:Hair samples of 54 women (including 27 healthy and 27 patients) with average age of 52.03 ± 11.44 years were analyzed. All the sample donors were Iranian women. For the measurements Wave Length X-ray Fluorescence (WLXRF) method was used.Results:Trace elements in healthy individuals were higher than those in cancer patients. In addition, sensitivity of the used method (WLXRF) was 96% compared to mammography (77%) as a gold standard for breast cancer detection.Conclusions:Trace elements in healthy individuals were higher than cancer patients and it seems that WLXRF may be used as a safe, low cost and reliable method with sensitivity higher than those of the other two relevant methods, XRD and mammography.

Ion Beam, Synchrotron Radiation, and Related Techniques in Biomedicine: Elemental Profiling of Hair

“…Interestingly, hair samples have been used to assess the risk of breast cancer [85]. With XRF and X-ray diffraction techniques, it was shown that not only elemental levels but also hair structure differ between healthy controls and those with breast cancer [86]. More specifically, the data revealed that trace element levels were higher in healthy controls than in breast cancer patients and that wavelength of XRF presented with a 96% sensitivity compared to a 77% sensitivity for mammography, the gold standard for breast cancer screening.…”