Correction of stomach cancer CT attenuation values for variations due to differences in CT imaging conditions through repeated CT scans

Abstract

Purpose To develop methods for correcting variations in CT attenuation values of advanced gastric cancer (AGC) due to differences in CT imaging conditions using repeated pre-treatment CT scans. Methods A total 211 patients (146 men) with AGC who underwent pre-treatment CT twice were included in this retrospective study. The Pearson correlation between the difference in tumor attenuation values measured on both CT scans and the difference in attenuation values of other organs was analyzed. A formula to correct tumor CT attenuation values was developed using univariate linear regression analysis. Results The Pearson correlation coefficient was the highest between the difference in tumor attenuation values and that of the main portal vein (MPV) attenuation values (0.86, P