3D nanotomography of breast cancer precursor lesions: spatial complexity of DCIS, ADH and invasive breast carcinoma

Breast cancer is a prevalent form of cancer on a global scale, and it is considered to be among the top five leading causes of cancer-related deaths. Screening mammography using low-dose X-rays is normally carried out to detect early lesions with calcification, ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive breast carcinoma, both mostly confirmed by histopathological biopsies. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is defined as a proliferation of malignant cells that has not yet invaded the basement membrane of the breast ducts and is a precursor to infiltrating breast carcinoma. Therefore, we intend to use three-dimensional (3D) virtual histology based on X-ray nano-holotomography (XNH) at the ID16A-beamline. XNH allows to study mm3-tissue blocks at isotropic resolution below the capabilities of conventional histology. We are planning to image the early invasion of breast carcinoma patients showing the transition from a ductal carcinoma-in-situ (DCIS), ADH towards an invasive breast carcinoma.