A nomogram for predicting postoperative complications based on tumor spectral CT parameters and visceral fat area in gastric cancer patients

Abstract

Purpose: To construct a nomogram combining tumor spectral CT parameters and visceral fat area (VFA) to predict postoperative complications (POCs) in patients with gastric cancer (GC).

Method: This retrospective study included 101 GC patients who underwent preoperative abdominal spectral CT scan and were divided into two groups (37 with POCs and 64 without POCs) according to the Clavien-Dindo classification standard. Logistic regression was used to establish spectral, VFA, and combined models for predicting POCs. The combined prediction model was presented as a nomogram, and the diagnostic performance of each model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results: The AUCs of the VFA and spectral model were 0.71 (95% CI: 0.62-0.80) and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.72-0.88), respectively. VFA, the slope of spectral curve (λ) in venous phase (λ-VP) and tumor Hounsfield units on monoenergetic images 40 keV in VP (MonoE_40keV-VP) were independent predictors of POCs in GC. The nomogram yielded an AUC of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.81-0.94). The combined model was superior to the VFA or spectral models by comparing their AUCs (P = 0.000 and 0.022).

Conclusions: The nomogram based on two tumor spectral parameters (λ-VP, MonoE_40keV-VP) and VFA could serve as a convenient tool for predicting the POCs of GC patients.

Keywords: Gastric cancer; Nomogram; Postoperative complication; Spectral CT; Visceral fat.