E. Leen et al., Potential role of doppler perfusion index in selection of patients with colorectal cancer for adjuvant chemotherapy, LANCET, 355(9197), 2000, pp. 34-37
Citations number
18
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Background As yet there is no established method of accurately identifying
patients with colorectal cancer who, despite undergoing apparently curative
resection, are at high risk of recurrence. We assessed whether the doppler
perfusion index (DPI; ratio of hepatic arterial to total liver blood flow)
could be used to select patients who should receive adjuvant chemotherapy.
Methods We studied 120 patients undergoing curative surgery for colorectal
cancer. DPI was measured before surgery with colour duplex doppler ultrason
ography. A DPI value of at least 0.3 was defined as abnormal. All patients
were followed up until death or for at least 5 years.
Results At 5 years, patients with Dukes' stage A or B tumours (n=61) had re
currence-free survival of 57% and overall survival of 64%, compared with 39
% and 42% for patients with Dukes' stage C tumours (n=59; p=0.016 and p=0.0
08, respectively). 47 patients had normal DPI values and 73 patients had ab
normal values. Patients with normal DPI had recurrence-free survival of 89%
and overall survival of 91%, compared with 22% and 29% for those with abno
rmal DPI values (both p<0.0001).
Conclusions DPI can be used to identify patients with colorectal cancer at
high risk of recurrence who are in need of adjuvant treatment. However, fur
ther studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to confirm these fi
ndings.