In vivo P-31 spectroscopy of the human breast

The breast is one of the few areas in the body where it is possible to record tumor spectra relatively free from muscle contamination. P-31 spectra were recorded from the breast in a series of normal volunteers and 22 patients with benign and malignant tumors of the breast. Measurements were made on a Siemens 1.5-T Magnetom using surface coils with doped proton markers, each examination being preceded by a T1-weighted image to aid localization of the tumor. Spectra from normal volunteers showed little signal, The PCr signal being about 10% of that found from muscle under the same conditions. Tumors both benign and malignant showed elevation of the signals in the PME-PDE region. Sequential studies in four patients treated by chemotherapy or tamoxifen showed significant but variable changes at present difficult to relate to disease state