Human Tumors Detected by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Abstract

Measurements of the water proton spinlattice relaxation (T1) in 106 human tumors confirms earlier results with animals [Damadian, R. (1971) Science 171, 1151-11531. T1 of all the tumors studied were significantly longer than T. of the corresponding normal tissues. Mean standard error and range were reported for T, of every human organ and for all the tumor groups studied. The technique is now ready for use by pathologists as an adjunct to present methods of diagnosing malignancy.In an earlier paper (1) concerned with tumors experimentally induced in laboratory animals, we reported the usefulness of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in the detection of malignancy with the aim of defining its ultimate potential as an external probe for detecting internal cancer. The study was subsequently confirmed at a higher frequency (100 MHz) by lijima and Fujii We now wish to report that we have succeeded in extending this work to humans. We have completed the NMR analysis of 106 tumors taken at surgery and we begin the NMR catalogue of human neoplasms to form the data base for designing the instrument to detect internal malignancies. In addition, this study starts the assembly of criteria for the NMR-assisted diagnosis of malignancy in biopsy specimens. METHODSThe experimental arrangement consisted of a Westinghouse superconducting magnet operating at 24,800 G, a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Specialities Corp. PS-60AW pulse spectrometer, and a probe of cross coil design operating at 100MHz. Spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) was obtained by the method of Carr and Purcell (6) and by the method of Hahn (7). Within the limits of biologic variation, the two methods proved equivalent and the null method was measurably more efficient since T was determined by the display of a Tektronix digital counter gated on and off by the programmed sequence of pulses coming out of the PS-60 spectrometer.Tumor All analyses were made at 260 utilizing a thermoregulated stream of air that circulated through the vertical room temperature access bore of the "supercon" dewar. Temperature was controlled to i 1.00 in this way and was found to be important for attaining precision in the relaxation measurements. Samples to be analyzed were preequilibrated at this temperature before final measurements were carried out.Each tumor value reported was the mean of duplicate determinations and came from a different patient. Individual values for normal organs were the mean of duplicate determinations of autopsy specimens that were obtained in the Medical Examiner's Office and therefore were from autopsy cases that were free of systemic disease. Since the aim of these studies in part was to establish the detection criteria on which an external probe could be designed, the tissue reported as the normal control was the tissue in which the tumor was lodged. In most cases, this proved to be the tissue of origin of the tumor with the conspicuous exception of liver and lymph nodes. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONThe results (Table 1) were similar to those obtained in anima...

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