NMR in cancer. XI. Application of the NMR malignancy index to human gastro-intestinal tumors.

One hundred two specimens of human gastro-intestinal tissue taken from eighty-seven individuals were inspected by proton magnetic resonance techniques (at 22.5 Megahertz). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic capabilities of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique with regard to the diagnosis of malignancy. The combination of two NMR parameters (spin-lattice ((T1) and spin-spin ((T2)) relaxation times) into a malignancy index yielded complete discrimination between the two populations of tissue. The mean and standard deviations obtained were 2.004 +/- 0.342 for normal tissue, and 3.266 +/- 0.642 for malignant specimens. In addition, the NMR technique indicated that histologically normal tissue taken adjacent to the malignancy was pathologically "involved". Analysis of the electrolyte and water content of such tissues confirms this abnormality.