A radiomics nomogram based on F-18 FDG-PET/CT imaging could help physicians assess long-term outcomes in women undergoing treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer, according to a study published Jan. 30. BMC Cancer,
Renowned co-corresponding author Ruozheng Wang, PhD, of Xinjiang Medical University in Urumqi, China, said the nomogram was tested in women who had undergone radiochemotherapy and compared 3-year and five-year progression-free survival. The results were effectively predicted.
“A nomogram incorporating radiomics and clinical features may be a useful diagnostic tool for early and accurate assessment of long-term prognosis in patients,” the group wrote.
The authors reported that cervical cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in women worldwide, especially in developing countries.
While traditional medical imaging approaches provide information related to tumor structure and facilitate diagnosis in these patients, radiomics – an approach based on extracting quantitative data from images to generate imaging biomarkers – can help determine Whether patients are responding to treatment or not, he said.
To that end, the group analyzed data from 167 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) who received pretreatment F-18 FDG PET/CT and radiochemotherapy at two local cancer centers. They extracted radiomics features from this data based on their clinical effectiveness in predicting 3- and 5-year progression-free survival.
According to the findings, in a separate cohort of 117 patients, overall, one clinical, one PET radiomics, and three CT radiomics features were significantly associated with progression-free survival. Next, in a group of 50 patients, researchers found that a model that combined these characteristics was better at predicting progression-free survival than either parameter alone.
Finally, in a cohort of 23 patients from another hospital, the nomogram demonstrated improved 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with LACC with an area under the operating curve (AUC) of 76% and an AUC of 76%. Predicted PFS. According to the findings, of 68%.
The group wrote, “We successfully developed a combined risk stratification model that incorporated clinical, PET radiomic, and CT radiomic features for individualized prediction of 3- and 5-year PFS probability in patients with LCC who received definitive concurrent radiochemotherapy. Is.”
Ultimately, the study is of clinical value, as it provides a visually quantitative nomogram to aid physicians in their routine practice, the authors wrote. Nevertheless they noted limitations, namely that longer follow-up is needed to further establish the value of the nomogram.
The group concluded, “Future prospective studies including more clinical parameters and multiple clinical end points need to be conducted to further validate and enhance the predictive performance.”
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