Use of Hair to Diagnose Breast Cancer

A Study to Evaluate a Test for the Diagnosis of Breast Cancer Using X-Ray Diffraction of Hair Fibres.

This study aims to perform x-ray diffraction analysis of blinded hair samples from women with a documented health status, to validate the previous findings of James et al who described that x-ray diffraction patterns of human hair can distinguish samples from healthy subjects from those of diseased subjects, specifically those suffering from breast cancer.

The primary hypothesis is that x-ray diffraction of hair can be used to distinguish hair from patients with confirmed breast cancer from subjects without detectable breast cancer.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult women (aged >20) who are undergoing mammography, and
• Who are willing and able to provide informed consent; and
• Who have usable scalp hair

Exclusion Criteria:

• Women with a history of breast cancer ever or other cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer and CIN: cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia) within 5 years.