Understanding Intratumor Heterogeneity in Myxofibrosarcoma Using Imaging Mass Spectrometry
Author Information
Author(s): Emrys A. Jones, Alexandra van Remoortere, René J. M. van Zeijl, Pancras C. W. Hogendoorn, Judith V. M. G. Bovée, André M. Deelder, Liam A. McDonnell
Primary Institution: Leiden University Medical Center
Hypothesis
Can multiple statistical analysis techniques corroborate intratumor heterogeneity in imaging mass spectrometry datasets of myxofibrosarcoma?
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that imaging mass spectrometry can reveal distinct nodules in histologically identical tumor tissue, indicating intratumor heterogeneity.
Supporting Evidence
- Imaging mass spectrometry can generate profiles containing hundreds of biomolecular ions directly from tissue.
- The study identified distinct nodules within morphologically identical regions of all patient tissue samples.
- Five independent multivariate methods were used to corroborate the findings of intratumor heterogeneity.
Takeaway
This study shows that special imaging techniques can help doctors see differences in tumors that look the same under a microscope.
Methodology
The study used imaging mass spectrometry to analyze tissue samples from patients with intermediate-grade myxofibrosarcoma, applying multiple multivariate statistical methods to identify distinct regions within the datasets.
Potential Biases
Potential ionization biases in mass spectrometry could affect the results, as the underlying chemical composition of the tissue influences the detected signals.
Limitations
The study's findings are based on a limited number of patient samples and may not be generalizable to all cases of myxofibrosarcoma.
Participant Demographics
Patients with intermediate-grade myxofibrosarcoma were included in the study.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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