Haircut May Screen for Breast Cancer

Researchers in Australia are trying out a new, noninvasive way to screen women for breast cancer. No biopsy or mammogram would be needed, just a sample of your hair. Your hair would be passed through a high-powered X-ray beam in a synchrotron, and a radiologist would be able to analyse the image for tiny changes in its structure that indicate the presence of breast cancer. "If you pass that beam through the hair and analyse the X-ray absorption of that beam, you get a finding specific to breast cancer," reported radiologist Dr Ron Shnier. Fermiscan is the company that is currently testing the synchrotron method in Chicago, with 2000 patients. Dr Veronica James is the inventor of the method. Hair scans may someday be used for breast, colon, and liver cancers, as well as Alzheimer's Disease.

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