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Abstract #0980

Investigating the Microenvironment of Childhood Brain Tumours Using MRS

Ben Babourina-Brooks1, Martin Wilson1, 2, Theodoros N. Arvanitis, 23, Andrew C. Peet1, 2, Nigel Paul Davies, 14

1School of Cancer Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom; 2Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom; 3School of Electronic, Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom; 4Imaging & Medical Physics, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom


The purpose of this study is to investigate differences in micro-environment factors relating to temperature, exchange effects and ionic strength between childhood brain tumour types using the water proton resonant frequency (PRF) shift relative to metabolite peaks (methyl creatine and tCho) determined by MRS. PRF shift averaging using amplitude weighted methods were also investigated. 1.5T Siemans Symphony data from 19 cancer patients (8 Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumour (PNET) and 11 Gliomas) and 20 apparently normal child brain spectra were analysed. Results showed significant differences in PRF shifts between PNET and Glioma tumour types as well as tumour against apparently healthy spectra.