Z Gastroenterol 2015; 53 - K6
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1558911

CT scan identifies patients with local advanced (T3/4) or nodal positive colon cancer

A Wiegering 1, 2, C Ritter 3, CT Germer 1
  • 1Department of General, Visceral, Vascular and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg
  • 2Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg
  • 3Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Georg-August-University Göttingen

Background and Objective: Neoadjuvant therapy could improve oncological outcome of patients suffering from colon cancer. An accurate staging method is needed to define suitable patients. The aim of this study was to validate CT scan for identifying patients with local advanced (T3/4) or nodal positive colon cancer.

Methods and material: 210 patients with preoperative CT scan undergoing resection for colon cancer were retrospectively evaluated by two radiologists independently and blinded for pathological exam. Patients were stratified according to the guidelines for rectal cancer into patients with low risk (T0/1/2 and N0) or high risk (T3/4 or N+).

Results: Inter-observer correlation was high with over 90%. Overall sensitivity was higher for T-Stage with 93.0% than for N-Stage with 76.9%. Using CT scan to identify local advanced (T3/4 or N+) tumors, the consensus sensitivity was 94.9%, specificity 53.6%, positive predictive value (PPV) 92.8% and 62.5% for the negative predictive value (NPV).

Conclusion: Computer tomography represents an effective tool for identifying suitable colon cancer patients for a neoadjuvant therapy according to the guidelines for rectal cancer.