The Blood Oxygenation T₂^* Values Of Resectable Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinomas As Measured By 3.0-t Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Association With Tumor Stage

Objective: To explore the blood oxygenation T2* value of resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinomas(ESCCs)as measured by the multi-echo gradient recalled echo(GRE)T2*-weighted imaging(T2*WI)of 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging : association with preoperative tumor stage.Materials and Methods: This study included 48 ESCC patients and 20 healthy participants who had undergone esophageal GRE-T2*WI of 3.0T MRI to obtain T2* values of the tumors and normal esophagi.ESCC patients underwent surgical resections less than one week after imaging.Statistical analyses were performed to identify the association between T2* values of normal esophagi and ESCCs,and different tumor stages.Results:(1)One-Way ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls tests revealed that T2* value was able to differentiate stage T1 ESCCs(17.7 ± 3.3 ms)from stage T2 and stage T3 tumors(24.6 ±2.7 ms and 27.8 ±5.6 ms,respectively;all Ps < 0.001).Receiver operating curve(ROC)analysis showed the suitable cutoff T2* value of 21.3 ms for either differentiation.(2)The former statistical tests demonstrated that T2* value could not differentiate between stages T2 and T3(24.6 ± 2.7 ms vs.27.8 ±5.6 ms,respectively,P > 0.05)or between N stages(N1 vs.N2 vs.N3: 24.7 ±6.9 ms vs.25.4 ±4.5 ms vs.26.8 ±3.9 ms,respectively;all P> 0.05).(3)The former tests illustrated that T2* value could differentiate anatomic stages I and II(18.8 ±4.8 ms and 26.9 ±5.9 ms,respectively)or III(27.3 ±3.6 ms),and ROC analysis depicted the same cutoff T2* value of 21.3 ms for either differentiation.In addition,(4)Student's t-test revealed that T2* value was able to determine grouped T stages(T0 vs.T1-3: 17.0 ±2.9 ms vs.25.2 ± 6.2 ms,T0-1 vs.T2-3: 17.3 ± 3.0 ms vs.27.1 ± 5.3 ms,and T0-2 vs.T3: 18.8 ± 4.2 ms vs.27.8± 5.6 ms,all P< 0.001).ROC analysis indicated that T2* value was able to detect ESCCs(cutoff,20 ms),and discriminate between stages T0-1 and T2-3(cutoff,21.3 ms)and between T0-2 and T3(cutoff,20.4 ms).Conclusion: T2* value can be an additional quantitative indicator for detecting ESCC except T1 cancer,and preoperatively discriminating between some T stages and between anatomic stages of this tumor.