DIAGNOSTIC POTENTIAL FOR CANCER VIA H-1 MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY OF COLON TISSUE

Specimens of colon tissue were examined by H-1 MRS (360 MHz) in order to determine the usefulness of rat colon (n = 44) as a model for human colon (n = 60), particularly for the characterization of preneoplasti c lesions. Human tissue was characterized by H-1 MRS as a precursor to in vivo studies. For both tissues, resonances from mobile lipid were not characterized of pre mucosa, but correlated with the presence of s ubmucosa. The mean intensities of the resonances at 3.2 and 3.4 ppm (a ssigned mainly to choline-containing compounds and taurine, respective ly) of rat mucosa compared to those of human mucosa, and of rat tumour s compared to human tumours, were not significantly different, while b oth resonances were significantly more intense in rat tumours compared to rat mucosa. The spectra of premalignant lesions in rat colon have features between those due to tumours and normal tissue. We conclude t hat rat colon is a useful for human colon in H-1 MR spectroscopic stud ies. MR spectra from human colon control tissue and tumours were class ified with 100% accuracy using multivariate analysis.