ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the value of preoperative enhanced CT combined with serum cytokeratin fragment 19 (CYFER21-1) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:160 patients with NSCLC admitted to Linyi Cancer Hospital from October 2018 to October 2021 were retrospectively selected. All patients received surgical treatment in our hospital, and 84 patients with lymph node metastasis (metastatic group) and 76 patients without lymph node metastasis (non-metastatic group) were confirmed after surgery. The features of enhanced CT images and serum CYFER21-1 and NSE levels were compared between the two groups before operation, and the value of each index in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in patients with NSCLC alone and in combination was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:The proportions of patients with lesion diameter ≥3.0 cm, pleural depression, lymph node enlargement shown by CT, lymph node short diameter ≥10 mm, lymph node boundary ambiguity and lymph node enhancement in metastatic group were significantly higher than those in non-metastatic group, with statistical significance (all P<0.05). Serum CYFER21-1 and NSE levels in metastatic group were significantly higher than those in non-metastatic group, with statistical significance (all P<0.05). The area under curve (AUC) of CYFER21-1 and NSE levels in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in NSCLC patients were 0.652 and 0.845, respectively, and the diagnostic cut-off values were 4.81 ng/ml and 24.14 ng/ml, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of CYFER21-1+ NSE+ enhanced CT in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in NSCLC patients were 91.67% and 94.74%. Conclusions:Preoperative enhanced CT is of certain clinical value in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in NSCLC patients. Combined with serum CYFER21-1 and NSE levels, enhanced CT can further improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis.