Effects of the menstrual cycle on the optical properties of the human breast

Time-resolved reflectance and transmittance spectroscopy was used to measure the absorption and transport scattering spectra of the female breast from 610 to 1010 nm in the various phases of the menstrual cycle. This allowed us to investigate how the cycle affects the percentage of water and lipids, and the total hemoglobin content and blood oxygenation of breast tissues. Moreover, the scattering spectra provided information on the tissue structure (i.e., average size of the scattering centers and their concentration).