Abstract:
Objective To analyze changes on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to determine the influencing factors to provide evidence for the prevention and maintenance of brain health in patients with cancer.
Methods Forty-five newly diagnosed patients with NSCLC (cancer group) and 39 healthy controls (control group) were enrolled at Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute from July 2018 to March 2019. MRI data were analyzed based on surface-based morphometry (SBM) of the cerebral cortex. Changes in brain regions were statistically compared between the two groups. Routine blood markers, blood lipid profiles, tumor markers, and changes in brain regions were analyzed using partial correlation analysis.
Results Regarding changes in cerebral cortex volume, the right posterior central gyrus and right superior parietal gyrus were significantly atrophied in the cancer group compared to that in the control group (P < 0.05); however, the thickness, surface area, curvature, and sulcus depth were not significantly different (P>0.05). In addition, the level of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in the cancer group was significantly higher than that in the control group (27.02± 33.16) ng/mL vs. (7.8±3.85) ng/mL, P < 0.05. Partial correlation analysis showed that the atrophy volume of the central posterior gyrus was negatively correlated with NSE levels (r=-0.268, P=0.039); However, the atrophy volume of the central posterior gyrus was not significantly correlated with routine blood markers, blood lipid profiles, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels.
Conclusions Volumes of the posterior central gyrus and superior parietal gyrus of the right brain are atrophied in NSCLC patients, and volume reduction in the posterior central gyrus is significantly negatively correlated with NSE levels. These findings suggest that NSE can be used as a potential predictor of NSCLCrelated brain damage.
下载: