Challenges of liver cancer: Future emerging tools in imaging and urinary biomarkers

Figure 4 ¹H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Proton (¹H) MR Spectra (left to right) from: (1) a patient with significant hepatic steatosis; (2) a patient with mild hepatic steatosis; and (3) a healthy volunteer. The intrahepatocellular (IHCL) lipid resonance is many times larger in (1) than (3), with the hepatic water resonance scaled to the same height for comparative purposes. Candidate markers for hepatocellular carcinoma which have been proposed in the literature. Most reflect high cellular turnover exhibited by tumours, but the majority lack sensitivity and specificity (see text for further explanations). Reproduced from Thomas et al[27] 2005. ppm: Parts per million; IHCL CH₂: Intrahepatocellular lipid.