ASSESSMENT OF THE THERAPEUTIC RESPONSE OF HUMAN BREAST CARCINOMA USING IN VIVO VOLUME LOCALIZED PROTON MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY

Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among females and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Diagnostic techniques are becoming mandatory for early diagnosis, treatment and improved survival. Screening procedures such as clinical breast examination, ultrasound, and mammography are often limited in sensitivity and specificity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a new noninvasive valuable tool for doing diagnostic mammography and combined with in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), it offers an attractive alternative to monitor tissue biochemical/metabolic changes. In this brief review, we discuss the potential of noninvasively monitoring and assessing the response of breast cancer to neoadjuvant chemotherapy using in vivo volume localized proton MRS method that is employed in our laboratory.