Objectives: To evaluate the accuracy of 64-section multidetector CT with CT gastrography for determining the depth of mural invasion in patients with gastric cancer according to the 7th edition of the AJCC cancer staging manual.
Methods: A total of 127 patients with gastric cancer and who had undergone both esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy and 64-section CT were included in this study. Two radiologists independently reviewed the preoperative CT images with respect to the detectability and T-staging of the gastric cancers. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and overall accuracy of each reviewer for the T staging of gastric cancer were calculated.
Results: Overall, gastric cancer was detected in 123 (96.9%) of the 127 cancers on the CT images. Reviewer 1 correctly staged 98 gastric cancers, and reviewer 2 correctly classified 105 gastric cancers. The overall diagnostic accuracy of the T staging was 77.2% (98/127) for reviewer 1 and 82.7% (105/127) for reviewer 2.
Conclusion: 64-section CT using CT gastrography showed a reasonable diagnostic performance for determining the T staging in patients with gastric cancer according to the 7th edition of the AJCC cancer staging manual.
Key points: 64-section CT is useful for determining the T staging of gastric cancer Virtual gastroscopy is helpful for detecting early gastric cancer New CT criteria may be applicable to the T staging The normal gastric wall frequently shows a multilayered pattern.