Purpose
To assess response to sorafenib therapy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using perfusion CT (pCT).
Methods and Materials
pCT technique and data processing
Sixteen patients with a total of 25 HCC underwent liver pCT.
Out of them,
11/16 (68.7%) underwent pCT on a 64-row scanner with a z-axis coverage of 4cm (LightSpeed VCT,
General Electric,
Milwaukee,
WI),
whereas the remaining 5/16 (31.3%) were imaged on a high-definition 64-row scanner with effective z-axis coverage of 8cm through CT table toggling (Axial Shuttle®; Discovery CT750 HD,
General Electric),
respectively (Table 1).
All patients underwent pCT immediately before the beginning of sorafenib therapy,
and 1 and...
Results
Baseline BF,
BV,
HAF,
and PS were significantly higher,
and MTT values significantly lower in HCC lesions than in the surrounding liver parenchyma (p<0.01) (Table 2).
At 1- and 3-month follow-up,
in all patients αFP was significantly reduced than at baseline,
whereas MTT values were significantly higher (9.21±3.42 and 9.87±2.98 vs 5.41±2.03 seconds at 1 month,
3 months and baseline,
respectively; p<0.005).
No significant difference was detected between MTT of HCC lesions at 1- and 3-month follow-up (p=0.4318) (Fig.
2).
A statistically significant inverse correlation...
Conclusion
In patients with advanced HCC under sorafenib therapy,
MTT prolongation at pCT follow-up can be used as a marker of biochemical treatment response.
Baseline MTT could predict treatment response in patients candidate to sorafenib therapy.
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Ricci S,
Mazzaferro V et al (2008) Sorafenib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Personal Information
Dr.
Francesca Pancrazi
Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
University of Pisa,
Italy
[email protected]