Magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies of the prostate

Since the first suggested use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for detecting cancer, followed by the demonstration of the feasibility of imaging based 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 metabolites in vivo has provided unique opportunities for obtaining physiological and biochemical information. More recently, improvements in NMR equipment (magnet, electronics, computers, gradients coils, radiofrequency coils) and pulse sequences (software) have further improved these capabilities. The distinctions between MRI and MRS have begun to blur as new techniques emerge that combine imaging and spectroscopy, generating MRS images of a variety of metabolites. This review provides a brief overview of recent developments in MRS studies pertinent to the clinical evaluation of prostate cancer. The paper has been divided into three parts: a brief qualitative theoretical section about MRS, a review of in vitro studies, and a discussion of the clinical studies of the human prostate.