Imaging in Gastric Cancer: Current Practice and Future Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Imaging
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer death globally.
• Accurate staging is essential for optimal patient management.
• Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been a standard for tumor (T) and nodal (N) staging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the advantages and disadvantages of EUS, CT, MRI, and PET in gastric cancer TNM staging.
• To highlight the evolving role of advanced imaging in cancer diagnosis and treatment planning.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on EUS, CT, MRI, and PET in gastric cancer staging.
• Comparative analysis of imaging modalities for T, N, and M status assessment.
• Discussion of technological advancements impacting diagnostic accuracy.

Main Results:

• CT is increasingly used for T, N, and metastasis (M) staging.
• MRI offers excellent soft tissue contrast for primary tumor detection and liver metastasis identification without radiation.
• PET is valuable for nodal staging and detecting peritoneal carcinomatosis, with future potential in targeted therapies.

Conclusions:

• Each imaging modality (EUS, CT, MRI, PET) has unique strengths and limitations in gastric cancer TNM staging.
• The integration of advanced imaging techniques improves diagnostic precision.
• Future research may further refine the role of PET in gastric cancer management.