Feasibility of quantitative parameters of dynamically enhanced patterns of spiral computed tomography scanning integrated into tumour progression before targeted treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression remains controversial. We aimed to explore the usefulness of contrast-enhanced spiral CT scanning for confirming the time of tumour progression before targeted treatment of NSCLC. METHODS: Contrast-enhanced spiral CT scanning was performed on 33 NSCLC patients with a biopsy-proven diagnosis of NSCLC. All the patients were divided into three groups according to times of tumour progression (<6 weeks, 6-20 weeks, and >20 weeks). The perfusion CT data were used to calculate quantitative parameters, including enhanced peak values, peak time of tumour enhancement, ratio of tumour mass and enhanced aorta peak value and perfusion value of blood flow. Variance analysis was used for statistical analysis among the three groups using SAS 9.13 statistical software. RESULTS: Tumour perfusion values among the three group with different stage of TTP were significantly different from each other with P = 0.0129 (<6 weeks, perfusion value = 0.35 ± 0.15 mL/(min × mL); 6-20 weeks, perfusion value = 0.41 ± 0.086 mL/(min × mL); > 20 weeks, perfusion value = 0.47 ± 0.087 mL/(min × mL)). However, no significant differences were found in other parameters (enhanced peak values, peak time of tumour enhancement, ratios of tumour mass, and enhanced aorta peak value) among three groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The NSCLC patients with high perfusion value before targeted therapy are more sensitive to targeted therapy, and further experiments with larger sample size are needed.