Gastric cancer is a common type of cancer that often spreads to the liver. When cancer spreads to the liver, treatment becomes very difficult. Many patients will undergo chemotherapy to shrink the tumor. Currently, doctors use CT or MRI scans to assess the effect of chemotherapy, but these examinations usually take about 2 months to show changes in the size of the tumor.
The purpose of this study is to test whether a special type of ultrasound technology called "contrast-enhanced subharmonic ultrasound" can help doctors determine earlier whether chemotherapy is effective compared to conventional scans. This ultrasound detection does not use radiation and can display the blood perfusion status inside liver tumors. We will observe the changes in blood flow perfusion inside the tumor before the start of treatment and after 1-2 chemotherapy cycles to see if these changes can predict whether chemotherapy will be effective in the future.
If this test is effective, it will help doctors adjust the treatment plan more quickly, which may improve the treatment effect for gastric cancer patients whose cancer cells have spread to the liver, and also help identify patients who are not responding to chemotherapy as early as possible, reducing the side effects and economic burden of patients.
Age ≥ 18 years.
Histologically or radiologically confirmed, initially diagnosed and have not undergone any treatment gastric liver metastasis (GCLM).
Lesion size ≤ 6 cm (preferably located adjacent to major anatomical structures such as large vessels or bile ducts).
Lesion depth ≤ 10 cm on ultrasound imaging.
Inability to cooperate with contrast-enhanced ultrasound or subharmonic imaging examinations (e.g., dyspnea when lying supine or excessive out-of-plane motion).
Know or suspected allergy to the contrast agent or other contraindications to its use.
Target lesion not previously evaluated or managed according to standard systemic treatment protocols.
Clinically unstable condition, advanced-stage disease, or patients with an unpredictable clinical course that may affect treatment tolerance or follow-up.