title: Apparent diffusion coefficient values measured by diffusion-weighted imaging predict chemoradiotherapeutic effect for advanced esophageal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to assess whether apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) predict responses to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and/or patient prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Magnetic resonance images were acquired to construct the diffusion-weighted images, and the ADC values were calculated before CRT in 80 patients with ESCC. A high-ADC group responded better to CRT than did a low-ADC group (p < 0.01). We divided the 80 patients into two groups based on the operating characteristic analysis: one group comprised patients with ADC values higher than the average ADC of the esophageal cancer tissue (1.10 × 10(-3) mm2/s), and the other group comprised those whose ADC values were less than the average value. A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the survival rate in the high-ADC group was significantly better than that in the low-ADC group (p = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that the ADC value may be a useful marker to predict treatment response as well as survival for patients with ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Frontier Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba-shi, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoyagi
authors.forename: Kiyohiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shuto
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okazumi
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kazama
authors.forename: Hisahiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsubara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models