Abstract
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) represent a highly promising diagnostic modality for oncology, especially for screening and early detection, by identifying key changes in the emergence and progression of cancer on the molecular level. The combination of anatomic localisation and quantification by metabolite spectra is often decisive in accurate, timely tumour identification. In fact, the potential of MRS and MRSI in oncology has yet to be realized. We argue that in order to achieve this goal, it is necessary go beyond technical (hardware) improvements, important as these are. In this review we demonstrate that many of the limitations of current applications of MRS and MRSI are due to the exclusive reliance upon the conventional mode of data analysis. We then show how these problems can be circumvented by applying recent mathematical advances in signal processing, and, most importantly, how this could impact upon key clinical problems for diagnostics in oncology.