Cancer patients could be asked to down the equivalent of half a bar of chocolate during tests as part of a new scanning technique unveiled by British researchers last night.
Researchers say glucose can be used to give accurate images of tumours in the body.
The images can be obtained using MRI scans, allowing patients to avoid exposure to radiation from x-ray based scanning, University College London researchers report.
Professor Mark Lythgoe, who helped develop the technique, said it would also enable detailed scanning to take place in local hospitals.
The technique is based on the high glucose consumption of tumours, which need it to feed their growth.
The researchers adapted an MRI scanner to identify glucose uptake – leading to tumours showing up as bright images. Patients receive an injection of sugar rather than being asked to consume chocolate.
The findings were reported in the journal Nature Medicine.
Professor Lythgoe said: “We can detect cancer using the same sugar content found in half a standard sized chocolate bar.
"Our research reveals a useful and cost-effective method for imaging cancers using MRI – a standard imaging technology available in many large hospitals.”
Fellow researcher Dr Simon Walker-Samuel said: “We have developed a new state-of-the-art imaging technique to visualise and map the location of tumours that will hopefully enable us to assess the efficacy of novel cancer therapies.”
Imaging glucose uptake and metabolism in tumors. Nature Medicine 7 July 2013
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