Abstract
.Inexpensive near-infrared microscopy (NIRM) was developed as a convenient technique to detect the medulla loss of scalp hair while reducing analytical time with easy sample preparation, leading to a field screening tool for breast cancer. NIRM has been evaluated as an alternative to synchrotron-based nanoscopy and to the relatively expensive method of conventional infrared microscopy to determine the degree and pattern of medulla loss of scalp hairs of patients with breast cancer and benign diseases, as well as normal healthy individuals. NIR imaging showed a strong, scattering-based hyperintense contrast of the medulla compared to the fully attenuated cortex in medullated healthy hair. Complete medulla loss (CML) per hair strand was more extensively () () detected in the hair of all cancer patients than in the hair of either healthy individuals (less than ) or those with benign disease (), suggesting a potential biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis. The medulla structure was retained mostly in the hair of age-matched healthy individuals, but discontinuous medulla loss was observed concomitantly with less CML in fibroadenoma patients. Potentially, compact NIRM modules can be integrated into a mobile platform as point-of-care technology for breast cancer screening.
Highlights
New diagnostic methods that enhance the sensitivity and specificity of current screening modalities are necessary to identify women with early-stage diseases and to supplement the demonstrated role of mammography and breast ultrasound screening
An advantage of NIR microscopy (NIRM) is the penetration of NIR light into the medulla and resulting interactions, such as light scattering with porous medulla structures, which may produce a unique contrast between the cortical matrix and medulla
2.3 IR Microscopy 2-D projection imaging of some hair samples was carried out using conventional IR microscopy (Nicolet iNIOMX, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Massachusetts) to compare with the NIRM images. 2.4 Synchrotron X-Ray Nanoscopy Nanoscopic projection and CT scanning of the healthy hair samples were carried out using a monochromatic synchrotron x-ray (6.78 keV) at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL) 7C beam line as described previously.[4,11]
Summary
New diagnostic methods that enhance the sensitivity and specificity of current screening modalities are necessary to identify women with early-stage diseases and to supplement the demonstrated role of mammography and breast ultrasound screening. Medulla loss in the hair structure has been previously detected by synchrotron x-ray nanoscopic imaging using zone-platebased phase contrast but analyzed a limited length of HS for each measurement, less than 1 mm. In this regard, a faster, cheaper, and more convenient imaging method for detecting medulla loss in hair samples is required in practical clinical settings, such as point-of-care technology (POCT). Since NIR microscopy can be integrated into a compact imaging or mobile POCT device, this finding may provide a convenient tool for breast cancer screening
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