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Synchrotron nanoscopy imaging study of scalp hair in breast cancer patients and healthy individuals: Difference in medulla loss and cortical membrane enhancements
Author(s) -
Han SungMi,
Chikawa JunIchi,
Jeon JaeKun,
Hwang MinYoung,
Lim Jun,
Jeong YoungJu,
Park SungHwan,
Kim HongTae,
Jheon Sanghoon,
Kim JongKi
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.22601
Subject(s) - scalp , breast cancer , medulla , medicine , cancer , anatomy , materials science , pathology
Nanoscopic synchrotron X‐ray imaging was performed on scalp hair samples of patients with breast cancer and healthy individuals to investigate any structural differences as diagnostic tool. Hair strands were divided into 2‐3 segments along the strands from root to tip, followed by imaging either in projection or in CT scanning with a monochromatic 6.78‐keV X‐ray using zone‐plate optics with a resolving power of 60 nm. All the examined cancer hairs exhibited medulla loss with cancer stage‐dependent pattern; complete loss, discontinuous or trace along the strands. In contrast, medullas were well retained without complete loss in the healthy hair. In the CT‐scanned axial images, the cortical spindle compartments had no contrast in the healthy hair, but appeared hypointense in contrast to the surrounding hyperintense cortical membrane complex in the cancer hair. In conclusion, observation of medulla loss and cortical membrane enhancements in the hair strands of breast cancer patients demonstrated structural variations in the cancer hair, providing a new platform for further synchrotron X‐ray imaging study of screening breast cancer patients. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:23–30, 2016 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.