Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of a fibrosarcoma tumor implanted in the rat.

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Abstract
Fibrosarcoma tumor cells were implanted in the hind legs of 25 rats and studied from the 1st to the 6th wk postimplantation. NMR imaging detected all tumors and did not yield any false-positives in 5 control rats. The T1 relaxation values of tumors overlapped those of muscle, and the T2 values overlapped those of fat, but the combination of the 2 values allowed discrimination of each of the 3 tissues with no overlap. The difference in relaxation time between tumor and muscle could be accounted for on the basis of water content, which was .apprx. 14% higher in the tumors. NMR imaging is a highly sensitive modality, but T1 and T2 values are not specific for individual pathologic conditions.