Magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies of the prostate

Since the first suggested use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for detec ting cancer, followed by the demonstration of the feasibility of imaging ba sed on the NMR signal in 1973, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the modality of choice for a variety of clinical applications, Subsequently , the use of NMR spectroscopy (MRS) to detect the presence of different met abolites in vivo has provided unique opportunities for obtaining physiologi cal and biochemical information. More recently, improvements in NMR equipme nt (magnet, electronics, computers, gradients coils, radiofrequency coils) and pulse sequences (software) have further improved these capabilities, Th e distinctions between MRI and MRS have begun to blur as new techniques eme rge that combine imaging and spectroscopy, generating MRS images of a varie ty of metabolites. This review provides a brief overview of recent developm ents in MRS studies pertinent to the clinical evaluation of prostate cancer . The paper has been divided into three parts: a brief qualitative theoreti cal section about MRS, a review of in vitro studies, and a discussion of th e clinical studies of the human prostate.