Inter observer reliability for peritoneal carcinomatosis at computed tomography.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Peritoneal carcinomatosis is a significant factor in cancer patient outcomes.
• Accurate assessment of peritoneal carcinomatosis is crucial for treatment planning and prognosis.
• Standardized reporting and scoring systems are needed to improve consistency in evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the inter-observer reliability among radiologists in diagnosing peritoneal carcinomatosis.
• To assess the reliability of the computed tomography peritoneal carcinomatosis index (CTPCI) in quantifying disease burden.
• To determine the consistency of reporting findings across different experience levels of radiologists.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of computed tomography (CT) scans from December 2019 to May 2020.
• Two groups of radiologists (first readers with 1-4 years post-fellowship experience and senior radiologists) independently assessed 15 peritoneal sites.
• Quantitative and qualitative assessments were performed, including the application of the Sugarbaker computed tomography peritoneal carcinomatosis index.

Main Results:

• A total of 236 patients were included, predominantly with ovarian (61.4%) and colon (11%) cancers.
• Good agreement was not achieved for the reporting of peritoneal carcinomatosis in 7 out of 15 analyzed sites (46.7%).
• Excellent intra-class correlation (>0.90) was observed for computed tomography peritoneal carcinomatosis index scores among all participating radiologists.

Conclusions:

• Inter-observer reliability for the qualitative reporting of peritoneal carcinomatosis is low.
• The computed tomography peritoneal carcinomatosis index demonstrates high inter-observer reliability and should be encouraged for use in peritoneal cancer reporting.
• Standardization of the CTPCI may improve consistency in the assessment and reporting of peritoneal carcinomatosis.