Lack of efficacy of water-suppressed proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of plasma for the detection of malignant tumors

Article Abstract:

Nuclear magnet resonance (NMR) has been used in physics, chemistry and material science since 1946. During recent years the method has been applied with unusually good results to medical imaging techniques. Armed with elaborate and extremely expensive equipment physicians can now examine bodily organs and structures that previously could only be seen by invasive methods. Samples of body fluid such as blood can also be examined in small NMR devices where the frequency of the radio waves which are used in the method can be scanned and tuned to energize specific molecules within the sample. Using these methods some reports have entered the literature that suggest that measurements of blood placed in a NMR spectroscope tuned to reveal the presence of methylene and methyl chemical groups could be used to diagnose cancer. In the present study NMR spectroscopy was used to study blood samples from 4 groups. A control group of 145 blood plasma samples were obtained from patients who were undergoing various surgeries which were not related to cancer; samples obtained from 66 untreated cancer patients; blood samples from 18 treated cancer patients; and blood drawn from 36 patients with premalignant diseases (diseases which are believed to progress to cancer in some cases). The investigators found no significant differences in the methyl or methylene group measurements (line width) between groups. As a result of their study the authors conclude that the NMR spectroscopy of blood is not useful as a diagnostic test for cancer. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of plasma from healthy subjects and patients with cancer

Article Abstract:

Nuclear magnet resonance has in recent years been applied with unusually good results to medical imaging techniques. Armed with elaborate but extremely expensive equipment, physicians can now examine bodily organs and structures that previously could only be seen by invasive methods. Samples of body fluid such as blood can also be examined in small NMR devices, to yield an analysis of the composition. Some reports have suggested that measurements of blood placed in a NMR spectroscope tuned to reveal the presence of methylene and methyl chemical groups could be used to diagnose cancer. The present study used blood samples from 104 cancer patients and 164 healthy patients to evaluate possible NMR results that could be used to discern the presence of malignant disease. Although a statistically significant difference could be found between the average values (methyl line widths) of cancer patients and normal individuals, there was great overlap between the values of individuals of both groups. Statistical differences were also found between samples of males and females and between groups of differently aged individuals. As a result, although statistical differences were observed in blood samples analyzed by NMR spectroscopy ,the method cannot be reliably used for detection of cancer. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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NMR - another cancer-test disappointment

Article Abstract:

Nuclear magnet resonance (NMR) has been used in physics, chemistry and material science since 1946. During recent years the method has been applied with unusually good results to medical imaging techniques. Samples of body fluids such as blood can also be examined in small NMR devices. Some reports have suggested that measurements of blood placed in a NMR spectroscope tuned to reveal the presence of methylene and methyl chemical groups could be used to diagnose cancer. However, reports in the April 5, 1990 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine indicate that the variation found in the methyl and methylene groups is not clearly defined enough to be used diagnostically, and at present there appears to be no scientific support for belief that NMR testing of blood is useful to diagnose cancer. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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