Early recognition of cancer could save millions of lives on our globe every year. The standard diagnostic technique uses X-rays, which are absorbed slightly differently in cancerous and healthy cells. Unfortunately only slightly, which is why tumours can be reliably recognized only when they are already fairly well developed, to sizes of several millimetres or more. At this stage, the cancer is often spread, i.e. metastases have emerged, which may make the disease incurable. Recognition of the first tumor at a much earlier stage of its development, when it is much smaller than one millimetre, would dramatically reduce the probability of the emergence of metastases and, hence, dramatically increase the chances of curing the patient of this horrifying illness.

Replacing absorption-based X-ray imaging with phase-contrast X-ray imaging affords promise for achieving this goal. This is because the phase of X-rays is affected much more strongly than their amplitude upon propagation through different sorts of tissues. X-ray phase-contrast CT images of a rat brain bearing a gliosarcoma (rat brain tumour), obtained at a highly-brilliant large-scale x-ray synchrotron source (ESRF/ Grenoble). The reaults clearly demonstrate that phase-contrast imaging can visualize small tumors at an early stage. It is evident that the phase-contrast image reveals much more details and offers a resolution far below one millimetre. Unfortunately this technique relies on highly-brilliant, mono-chromatic X-rays available only at synchrotron facilities at present. The brilliant, laboratory-sized X-ray sources developed at LAP may, one day, open the way to carrying this advanced diagnostic technique to hospitals. Simultaneously, laser-driven ion beams may offer a novel, cost-effective technique for cancer theraphy.