3.0T diffusion weighted imaging in evaluating the efficacy of concurrent chemoraidotherapy in patients with esophageal carcinoma

Objective To explore the value of 3.0T diffusion weighted imaging (DWI)in predicating and evaluating the efficacy of concurrent chemoraidotherapy (CCRT)in esophageal car-cinoma.Methods A total of 46 patients with esophageal carcinoma were divided into group A (with complete disappearance of high signal intensity)and group B (with incomplete disappearance of high signal intensity)based on the complete disappearance of high signal intensity of esophageal lesion and metastatic lymph node after 1 to 3 months of CCRT so as to measure the changes of esophageal lesion length and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)value of normal and lesion tissues, and were divided into T1-3 group (without affection)and T4 group (with affection)to analyze the differentiation of ADC values in both groups,according to the affection of esophageal lesion to sur-rounding tissues and organs distinguished by DWI.Additionally,all patients were divided into N0 group (without metastasis)and N1 group (with metastasis)on the basis of metastasis of medi-astinum lymph node determined by DWI,so as to analyze the differentiation of ADC values in both groups.Results After CCRT,esophageal lesion length decreased evidently than treatment before and the difference was statistically significant.ADC values in groups A and B were obviously lower than that in the esophageal normal tissues before and after treatment,while ADC value increased markedly in all groups after treatment compared with the treatment before,and ADC value was ap-parently higher in group A than that in group B.However,there was no significant difference be-tween T1-3 and T4 groups.Moreover,N0 group was obviously higher than N1 group in ADC value,and the difference was significant.Conclusion CCRT can obviously shorten esophageal lesion and increase ADC value in malignant lesion tissues of tumor,which suggested that ADC value can re-flect the internal metabolism changes and concurrent chemoraidotherapy of tumor earlier and more accurately.