Are left ventricular muscle area and radiation attenuation associated with overall survival in advanced pancreatic cancer patients treated with chemotherapy?. Issue 3 (March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cai, Q.; Mao, Y.; Yang, Q.; Wen, H.; Lv, Y.; Zhang, R.
• Is Part Of: Clinical radiology. Volume 75:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 238.e1
• Page End: 238.e9
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Subjects: Medical radiology -- Periodicals; Radiotherapy -- Periodicals; Radiotherapy -- Periodicals; Radiology -- Periodicals; Societies, Medical -- Periodicals; Medical radiology; Radiotherapy; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.0757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2019.11.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-9260

Abstract

Abstract : AIM: To evaluate whether cardiac muscle area and radiation attenuation, determined using pre-chemotherapy computed tomography (CT), are associated with therapeutic response and overall survival (OS) in chemotherapy-treated advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-eight chemotherapy-treated APC patients who underwent pre-chemotherapy CT between 2009 and 2018 were considered. Left ventricular muscle area (LVMA) and left ventricular muscle radiation attenuation (LVMRA) were measured using pre-chemotherapy arterial-phase CT. OS and progression-free survival (PFS) were analysed using Kaplan–Meier curves. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to analyse potential factors affecting OS and PFS. RESULTS: Patients with low LVMRA, low LVMA at baseline CT, and multiple metastases had a significantly shorter median OS than patients with high LVMRA, high LVMA, and without multiple metastases (8.8 versus 14 months, p= 0.017; 12.2 versus 18.1 months, p= 0.038; 7.3 versus 13.5 months, p< 0.001, respectively). Patients with low LVMRA and distant metastasis had a shorter median PFS than patients with high LVMRA and those without distant metastasis (4.9 versus 8.3 months, p =0.032; 5.4 versus 9.9 months, p= 0.002, respectively). Moreover, the mean LVMRA was the highest in the partial response group ( p= 0.028). CONCLUSION: LVMRA could well predict PFS and OS in chemotherapy-treated APC patients. Highlights: The LVMRA was associated with OS and PFS in APC patients receiving chemotherapy. The LVMA was associated with OS in APC patients receiving chemotherapy. The mean LVMRA was the highest in the partial response (PR) group.