Histopathological Evidence in Support of the Association of Elevated Proton Spin-lattice Relaxation Times with the Malignant State

Abstract

The pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance technique was explored for its potential diagnostic value in human cancer. Measurements of proton spin-lattice relaxation times (T₁) of cellular water protons of normal and malignant esophageal tissues showed elevated T, values in the latter. In some cases, tissues which appeared normal on gross examination assumed as uninvolved tissues had T, values higher than the other grossly uninvolved tissues and often closer to the T, of the corresponding tumor tissue. A histopathological study of the assumed uninvolved areas also studied for the T, values was therefore undertaken. A preliminary study demonstrated the presence of malignant cell groups or clusters in some of the uninvolved samples with higher T₁ compared to the true uninvolved tissues, which had a normal histological picture and low T, values. This observation has brought out the importance of histopathological studies in addition to relaxation studies to comprehend contributory factors to relaxation. Secondly, it lends support to the thesis of elevated T, values being characteristics of the malignant state.