| Abstract: |
Objective: Our goal was to assess the interobserver variability in Staging non-small cell lung cancer using CT and MRI. Materials and Methods: As part of the Radiologie Diagnostic Oncology Group (RDOG) study of lung cancer Staging, the CT and MR examinations of 40 patients suspected of having non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma were blindly interpreted by four expert observers. The primary tumor and lymph node stages in the 40 study subjects were similar to the final proportions reported in the RDOG study. Assessed abnormalities included the presence of a lung nodule, ehest wall invasion, mediastinal invasion, bronchial involvement, lymph node metastasis in specific node stations, and T and N classifications. Percent agreement and K-values were calculated for each of these determinations. Results: Depending on the finding assessed and the method of analysis, average agreement rates ranged from 58 to 90% for CT and from 61 to 96% for MRI. Average K-values were largely between 0.40 and 0.60 when dichotomous analysis was used; weighted K-values were similar. With a single exception, no significant differences were found for K-values calculated for CT and MRI. Conclusion: Although interobserver agreement rates are good for determining T and N Classification in patients with lung cancer, variability in image interpretation is frequent, even among experienced observers. © 1993 Raven Press, Ltd., New York. |
| Keywords: |
clinical article; human tissue; comparative study; cancer staging; magnetic resonance imaging; lymph node metastasis; staging; lymphatic metastasis; diagnostic accuracy; neoplasms; computer assisted tomography; image analysis; observer variation; lung non small cell cancer; carcinoma, non-small-cell lung; lung neoplasms; lung cancer; tomography, x-ray computed; cancer invasion; computed tomography; lung nodule; comparative studies; carcinoma, bronchogenic; lungs; cancer; human; priority journal; article; support, u.s. gov't, p.h.s.
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