A Review of Low Angle Fibre Diffraction in the Diagnosis of Disease

More than ever, unlocking the secrets of cancer in the 21st century is a collaborative exercise between medical science and a greater use of all available forms of technology. Peeling away the layers that surround cancer diagnoses reveals a deeper understanding about the nature of cancer conditions. The use of technology thus may aid the process of early diagnosis. The information gained by each successful step in turn adds to our existing understanding and helps to direct the course of improved treatment protocols. Treatment protocols resulting from our greater understanding of the cancers bring us one step closer to our ultimate goal of better interventions for all patients suffering from a range of cancer conditions. One such method of investigation has been the use of low angle fibre diffraction techniques in the analysis of body tissues, including skin, hair and nails. The results obtained produce characteristic diffraction patterns which are distinctive and reproducible for a number of cancers including breast cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma. These patterns may be used as a means of early detection of some of the most commonly occurring cancers, or, alternatively, as an indicator that cancers which have previously been diagnosed for particular patients have been cured and no trace of the disease remains in the patient’s body.