Abstract #1997

Sharma U, Seenu V, Pavan Kumar M, Jagannathan N

In vitro NMR spectroscopy investigation of axillary lymph nodes (n=88) from thirty breast cancer patients revealed the metabolic changes underlying metastases. The concentrations of GPC-PC, choline, lactate, alanine and UDPG and the intensity ratio of GPC-PC/Threonine (Thr) were elevated significantly in metastatic nodes. Using GPC-PC/Thr ratio as a marker MRS detected the metastases with a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 80%, 91% and 88%, respectively while nine patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) the accuracy of MRS in detecting metastases was 75% compared to 96% in those who did not (n = 21) NACT.