Image_1_Survival prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma by measuring the extracellular volume fraction with single-phase contrast-enhanced dual-energy CT imaging.pdf

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the value of quantified extracellular volume fraction (fECV) derived from dual-energy CT (DECT) for predicting the survival outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).Materials and methodsA total of 63 patients with HCC who underwent DECT before treatment were retrospectively included. Virtual monochromatic images (VMI) (70 keV) and iodine density images (IDI) during the equilibrium phase (EP) were generated. The tumor VMI-fECV and IDI-fECV were measured and calculated on the whole tumor (Whole) and maximum enhancement of the tumor (Maximum), respectively. Univariate and multivariate Cox models were used to evaluate the effects of clinical and imaging predictors on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).ResultsThe correlation between tumor VMI-fECV and IDI-fECV was strong (both pConclusionThe quantified fECV determined by the equilibrium-phase contrast-enhanced DECT can potentially predict the survival outcomes of patients with HCC following TACE treatment.</p