Interreader and inter-test agreement in assessing treatment response following transarterial embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE:To evaluate interreader and inter-test agreement in applying size- and necrosis-based response assessment criteria after transarterial embolization (TAE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), applying two different methods of European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria. METHODS:Seventy-four patients (median age, 67 years) from a prospectively accrued study population were included in this retrospective study. Four radiologists independently evaluated CT data at 2-3 (1st follow-up, FU) and 10-12 (2nd FU) weeks after TAE and assessed treatment response using size-based (WHO, RECIST) and necrosis-based (mRECIST, EASL) criteria. Enhancing tissue was bidimensionally measured (EASLmeas) and also visually estimated (EASLest). Interreader and inter-test agreements were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and ? statistics. RESULTS:Interreader agreement for all response assessment methods ranged from moderate to substantial (??=?0.578-0.700) at 1st FU and was substantial (??=?0.716-0.780) at 2nd FU. Inter-test agreement was substantial between WHO and RECIST (??=?0.610-0.799, 1st FU; ??=?0.655-0.782, 2nd FU) and excellent between EASLmeas and EASLest (??=?0.899-0.918, 1st FU; ??=?0.843-0.877, 2nd FU). CONCLUSION:Size- and necrosis-based criteria both show moderate to excellent interreader agreement in evaluating treatment response after TAE for HCC. Inter-test agreement regarding EASLmeas and EASLest was excellent, suggesting that either may be used. KEY POINTS:• Applying EASL criteria, visual estimation and bidimensional measurements show comparable interreader agreement. • EASL meas and EASL est show substantial interreader agreement for treatment response in HCC. • Agreement was excellent for EASL meas and EASL est after TAE of HCC. • Visual estimation of enhancement is adequate to assess treatment response of HCC.

SUBMITTER: Donati OF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4968871 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature