The value of contrast-enhanced computed tomography in predicting gastric cancer recurrence and metastasis

The present study aimed to illustrate the clinical value of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in predicting gastric cancer (GC) recurrence and metastasis.

From March 2012 to March 2014, 131 GC patients who underwent initial treatment at the Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University were enrolled in this study, and 64-slice spiral CT was used for CECT. CECT parameters were recorded, including CT values in the arterial and venous phases, as well as the enhancement patterns in the arterial phase. All GC patients were followed for one year. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the clinical values of the CECT parameters in predicting GC recurrence and metastasis.

Significantly higher CT values in the arterial and venous phases were found in patients with higher tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging, lymph node metastasis (LNM), advanced Borrmann type and postoperative chemotherapy. TNM stage I-II patients showed less significant enhancement and significant heterogeneous enhancement than TNM stage III-IV patients. Compared with patients without recurrence and metastasis, patients with recurrence and metastasis demonstrated higher CT values in the arterial and venous phases, as well as a higher proportion of significant enhancement and significant heterogeneous enhancements. For the CT value in the arterial phase, the area under the ROC curve was 0.858, with 70.3% sensitivity and 95.7% specificity, and in the venous phase, it was 0.801, with 73.0% sensitivity and 83.0% specificity.

Our study suggests that CECT has a high accuracy rate for predicting postoperative GC recurrence and metastasis.