Synchrotron refractive-index microradiography of human liver cancer tissue

Three human liver tissue samples (similar to 5 mm x 40 mm x 20 mm) were excised from a cancer patient's liver during surgery. The microradiology analysis was performed with a non-standard approach on a synchrotron. High-resolution refractive-index edge-enhanced microradiographs that cover a larger volume of the liver tissue sample were obtained. The cancer tissue and normal tissue could be clearly identified and distinguished based on their different textures. Furthermore, new blood vessel hyperplasia was found near the cancer area. Blood vessels with a diameter smaller than 20 pm could be identified. These findings were fully consistent with the histopathological examination of the same area. Microradiographs of the newly formed blood vessels at different angles were also obtained. This result shows that it is possible to further develop this approach into a technique of microradiographic imaging for clinic diagnosis of liver cancer at the early stage.