Breast cancer diagnosis using scattered X-rays?

Mammography is non-specific and many women recalled following a suspicious mammogram require percutaneous or surgical breast biopsy to identify the nature of their breast lesion. This is invasive and subject to sampling error. Any technique capable of reducing the need for breast biopsy and/or aiding the analysis of biopsy specimens, would be highly advantageous. Since all disease states are associated with changes in cellular and/or tissue biochemistry with consequent effects on tissue structure, it is reasonable to suggest that the presence and type of disease may be detected by analysing tissue molecular structure using coherently scattered X-rays. We have performed small angle X-ray scattering measurements at the Synchrotron Radiation Source at Daresbury to make an initial assessment of the diagnostic information obtainable from various breast tissues. These experiments have indicated that high quality interpretable diffraction data can be rapidly produced from breast core cut biopsy specimens. We have demonstrated a remarkable and systematic difference between the X-ray scattering from normal, benign and malignant breast tissue collagen. Our findings indicate that it may be possible to use molecular structure characteristics of breast tissue as novel markers of disease progression.