Feasibility of breast cancer screening by PIXE analysis of hair

To reveal the role of key elements present in the hair of breast cancer patients on cancer development, the levels of a number of elements in scalp hair samples of 82 people including healthy individuals, people suffering from benign breast disease, and breast cancer patients were measured by PIXE analysis. Pellets of hair samples were prepared and bombarded by 2.2 MeV proton beam of a 3-MV Van de Graaff accelerator. The number of incident ions hitting the sample was indirectly measured using the RBS spectrum of a thin Ag film placed in the beam path. The concentrations of S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, and Cu in the hair of healthy individuals were in agreement with those observed in the hair of hyperplasia and cancer patients within standard deviations. However, a lower average level of zinc was found in samples from hyperplasia and breast cancer patients. Strong positive correlations were found between iron and potassium as well as between calcium and potassium in the cancer patients. These results could be of significance in the screening for breast cancer.

Measuring Radionuclides Concentration in Rice Field Soils using Gamma Spectroscopy in Northern Iran

BACKGROUND

A few elements of soil are radioactive. Soil can transfer radionuclide into plants feeding human. Sometimes their levels are as high as to be concern of human healthy. Rice has an important share for Iranian foods especially in north of Iran. Therefore we decided to obtain radionuclides concentration emitting γ rays in Lahijan City (Northern Iran) rice fields using γ spectroscopy.

METHODS

Twenty eight samples from rice field's soils and 12 samples from superficial soils were collected at a square of 10*10 m2 to get 2kg weight. To make dry samples were put into oven at 105°C for 24h. Then they were milled and 950 gr of each sample was transferred to Marinelli container with 1000(cc) volume, sealed and left for 40 days to get secular equilibrium. After measuring Ph, Electric conductivity and organic carbon, γ spectroscopy was done to get sample gamma spectrum at 2000-6000 sec using HpGe detector.

RESULTS

It was found (226)Ra activity in rice fields of 29.273±0.72 Bqkg-1 and city soil of 31.02±1.1 Bqkg-1 and also 232Th activity of 37.47±1.12 Bqkg-1 for rice fields' soils and 40.47±1.68 Bqkg-1 for city soil were in standard mode.

CONCLUSION

(40)K activities mean value according to UNSCEAR; 2000 was found a little greater than standard. A little value of (137)Cs was found in Lahijan rice fields and city soils that could be as a result of Chernobyl accident. In except of 137Cs, for three other under studied city soil elements, activities were greater than that of rice fields.

The optimization of an energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction system for potential clinical application

In the past decade, energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) has been used to identify the nature of tissues. However, these systems have limited clinical use because of problems such as the long measurement times. In this study, the relation between various setup parameters and some performance specifications such as sensitivity, spatial resolution and momentum transfer resolution were assessed using both geometrical calculations and modeling. Accuracy of the derived relations was also confirmed by means of experimental measurements. As an example, the optimum parameters were determined for obtaining diffraction patterns of breast tissue for an efficient acquisition time. Accordingly, the results of this study could introduce a useful tool for EDXRD optimization in clinical application.

Application of small-angle X-ray scattering for differentiation among breast tumors

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is an X-ray diffraction-based technique where a narrow collimated beam of X-rays is focused onto a sample and the scattered X-rays recorded by a detector. The pattern of the scattered X-rays carries information on the molecular structure of the material. As breast cancer is the most widespread cancer in women and differentiation among its tumors is important, this project compared the results of coherent X-ray scattering measurements obtained from benign and malignant breast tissues. The energy-dispersive method with a setup including X-ray tube, primary collimator, sample holder, secondary collimator and high-purity germanium (HpGe) detector was used. One hundred thirty-one breast-tissue samples, including normal, fibrocystic changes and carcinoma, were studied at the 6° scattering angle. Diffraction profiles (corrected scattered intensity versus momentum transfer) of normal, fibrocystic changes and carcinoma were obtained. These profiles showed a few peak positions for adipose (1.15 ± 0.06 nm⁻¹), mixed normal (1.15 ± 0.06 nm⁻¹ and 1.4 ± 0.04 nm⁻¹), fibrocystic changes (1.46 ± 0.05 nm⁻¹ and 1.74 ± 0.04 nm⁻¹) and carcinoma (1.55 ± 0.04 nm⁻¹, 1.73 ± 0.06 nm⁻¹, 1.85 ± 0.05 nm⁻¹). We were able to differentiate between normal, fibrocystic changes (benign) and carcinoma (malignant) breast tissues by SAXS. However, we were unable to differentiate between different types of carcinoma.