RSNA 2011: APT MR imaging provides accurate detection of cancer without contrast
Published
01 November 2011
| Article by Excerpta Medica
RSNA 2011: APT MR imaging provides accurate detection of cancer without contrast
Amide proton transfer (APT) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has demonstrated value in the diagnosis of brain cancers, but new work suggests that it can be employed more broadly. The approach is based on the fact that malignant cells increase expression of proteins. Amide protons in protein molecules rotate faster than free water protons, allowing the asymmetry, which is detected with magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), to distinguish cancer from normal tissue. According to work presented at the RSNA, this technology may be broadly applicable not only in diagnosis but in assessing response to treatment, such as chemotherapy agents. Due to the fact that the asymmetry is detected in cells rather than tissue, APT MR could provide one of the earliest signals of malignancy. While this technique may not be useful in all tissues, it does appear to be particularly attractive in the lung, liver, pancreas, and prostate.
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