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Objective: To assess how optical scatter properties in breast tissue, as measured by phase contrast microscopy and interpreted pathophysiologically, might be exploited as a diagnostic tool to differentiate cancer from benign tissue., Study Design: We evaluated frozen human breast tissue sections of adipose tissue, normal breast parenchyma, benign fibroadenoma tumors and noninvasive and invasive malignant cancers by phase contrast microscopy through quantification of grayscale values, using multiple regions of interest (ROI). Student's t tests were performed on phase contrast measures across diagnostic categories testing data from individual cases; all ROI data were used as separate measures., Results: Stroma demonstrated significantly higher scatter intensity than did epithelium, with lower scattering in tumor-associated stroma as compared with normal or benign-associated stroma. Measures were comparable for invasive and noninvasive malignant tumors but were higher than those found in benign tumors and were lowest in adipose tissue., Conclusion: Significant differences were found in scatter coefficient properties of epithelium and stroma across diagnostic categories of breast tissue, particularly between benign and malignant-associated stroma. Improved understanding of how scatter properties correlate with morphologic criteria used in routine pathologic diagnoses could have a significant clinical impact as developing optical technology allows macroscopic in situ phase contrast imaging.