Contrast-Enhanced CT Informative in Lung Cancer Patients
Last Updated: 2010-04-20 15:35:18 -0400 (Reuters Health)
In particular, DCE-CT provides "local tumor blood supply parameters, such as relative tumor blood volume and transfer coefficient" that convey information "concerning tumor radiosensitivity and therapy outcome," coauthor Dr. Andrij Abramyuk told Reuters Health by email.
Dr. Abramyuk and colleagues at the Technical University of Dresden studied relative tumor blood volume and transfer coefficient in 31 patients with clinically inoperable disease. Nineteen received induction chemotherapy; the others did not.
Both values showed a wide range. However, the researchers found a significant difference in relative tumor blood volume between patients with and without induction chemotherapy (4.6 mL versus 7 mL per 100 mL), depending on the number of cycles and clinical stage.
Overall, 20 patients had radiotherapy with curative intent and 7 with palliative intent. Four did not receive radiotherapy.
Over a median follow-up of 16 months, the transfer coefficient was significantly and inversely correlated with time to progression in the 24 patients in whom such data were analyzed.
The researchers suggest that chemotherapy-mediated changes in relative tumor blood volume, as a function of oxygen consumption, "may represent a modification of radioresistance and, consequently, reveal clinical impact."
Transfer coefficient may become a relevant predictive factor, they add, "allowing individualization of radiotherapy strategy."
Lung Cancer 2010.
Copyright © 2010 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
