Objective To summary the principle of magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging and its application progress in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Methods The newest related literatures of home and abroad were collected and reviewed. Results Magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging was a technology using the magnetic resonance phenomena and chemical shift phenomena to measure molecular organization. The spectroscopy most commonly used in clinical and scientific research includes 1H， 31P， and 23Na. Conclusion Magnetic resonance spectroscopy as the only approach to noninvasive quantitative provding biochemical information in vivo， has an important significance to the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.