Performance of Spectral CT-scan in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: a Prospective Multicentre Study

Performance of Spectral CT-scan in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: a Prospective Multicentre Study

Spectral CT is a rapidly expanding imaging modality that allows a reduction in iodine dose and irradiation compared to conventional scanning. It uses the difference in attenuation of the material according to the two different energy levels of the incident x-ray beams. The dual-energy scanner has a wide range of clinical applications, particularly in abdominal imaging.

First of all, the virtual creation of mono-energy images between 40 and 140 keV has shown subjective and objective improvement of tumor detection of hypovascular lesions using low energies (40keV). It has been shown to be of interest in vascular and cardiac imaging, and to reduce artefacts in bone imaging. However, its performance in oncology analysis has been little studied. The selection of patients for peritoneal and hepatic carcinosis surgery is fundamental, as surgery allows a prolongation of survival, but are associated with a non-negligible morbi-mortality rate.

Spectral CT provides improved detection of peritoneal carcinosis and liver metastases of colorectal cancer compared to conventional CT acquisition.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients followed for colorectal cancer with synchronous or metachronous liver metastases and/or peritoneal carcinosis
• Patients with a curative surgical resection plan

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer
• Patients treated with chemotherapy without surgical plans
• Patients with colorectal cancer with extra-hepatic and extra-peritoneal metastases alone (e.g. lung, bone)