Label-free discrimination of normal and fibroadenomal breast tissues using second harmonic generation imaging

Early detection of fibroadenoma (FA) is critical for preventing subsequent breast cancer. In this work, we show that label-free second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging is feasible and effective in quantitatively differentiating the fibroadenomal tissue from normal breast tissue. With the advent of the clinical portability of miniature SHG microscopy, we believe that the technique has great potential in offering a noninvasive in vivo imaging tool for early detection of FA and monitoring the treatment responses of FA in clinics.