A meta-analysis of the utility of transabdominal ultrasound for evaluation of gastric cancer

Abstract

Background:Clinical discovery/staging of gastric cancer (GC) is crucial in designing the treatment strategies and largely decides GC patients’ survival. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and computed tomography (CT) are 2 useful GC diagnosis tools. High doses of radiation associated with CT make its use limited, while the process of EUS is stressful, time-consuming, and challenging. Transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) is a promising candidate to address these shortcomings. This study aimed to meta-analyze the diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity of TAUS in discriminating between advanced and early GCs, as well as compare its utility with other imaging techniques.Methods: Literature searches were conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases up to 2019. Data were analyzed using RevMan software (Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK), and pooled estimates of accuracy, sensitivity, and other features were acquired. Seven papers were eventually selected for meta-analysis.Results:TAUS had distinct diagnostic efficacies for early and advanced GC patients. The accuracy and sensitivity were significantly higher in the advanced group. A high color Doppler vascularity index and a lesion larger than 1 cm were 2 features of advanced GC. Moreover, TAUS had a comparable (but slightly higher) accuracy than CT and EUS.Conclusions:TAUS is more accurate and sensitive in diagnosing advanced GC compared to early GC. More features of advanced GC are required to improve the recognition ability. At least, TAUS can be considered as a complementary imaging diagnostic tool to CT and EUS.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Transabdominal Ultrasonography in Evaluation of Gastric Malignancies: A Cross-sectional Study

“…[Table /Fig A systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by Zhang Y et al, involving seven papers found that the accuracy of TAUS in detecting Gastric Cancer (GC) is higher for larger tumours and tumours located in the antrum and body of the stomach [19]. This is consistent with the findings of the present study.…”

Global progress and future prospects of early gastric cancer screening

“…Ultrasonography has relatively few contraindications. However, some studies have also shown that ultrasonography is more accurate and sensitive in advanced gastric cancer, with accuracies and sensitivities of 79.7% and 98.6% in the advanced group and only 38.7% and 61.2% in the early group 40 . Besides, its detection is also affected by body size, abdominal contents, tumor size, and the operator's technique 41 , 42 .…”

Pregnancy and Gastric Cancer: A Narrative Review

“…The gastric wall can be assessed in detail, providing accurate information on the location, number, and depth of the tumors. A recent meta-analysis (Zhang DN et al, 2021) showed an accuracy of gastric filling ultrasonography for gastric cancer of up to 94% [61]. The role of this method in assessing the intraparietal depth of gastric cancers has been reported in the literature; however, the results are inhomogeneous, and studies on large groups of patients are lacking [62].…”