Dynamic Imaging Features and Clinical Significance of Pulmonary Malignancies After SBRT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/0z3exk25Keywords:
Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT); lung cancer; local recurrence; computed tomography (CT).Abstract
To effectively distinguish benign lung injury from local tumor recurrence after stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), this study aims to systematically explore the dynamic evolution patterns of CT images. The study retrospectively analyzed the dynamic CT data of 85 lung cancer patients, dividing them into a local recurrence group (n=13) and a benign lesion group (n=72), and compared the imaging features at different time points between the two groups. The results showed that benign lesions followed a predictable time pattern and tended to stabilize or shrink after 12 months of treatment. In contrast, the core feature of local recurrence was continuous progression, especially the continuous increase in lesion size after the critical time point of 12 months (the average recurrence time in this group was 21±6 months). Additionally, the "protruding margin" sign (77%) and the disappearance of the internal air bronchogram (69%) were high-specificity morphological markers of recurrence. In conclusion, combining the "increase after 12 months" time pattern with high-risk morphological features can construct an accurate diagnostic system, which has significant clinical value for optimizing postoperative follow-up and achieving early diagnosis of tumor recurrence.
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