Radiomics Based on MRI as a Biomarker to Guide Therapy by Predicting Upgrading of Prostate Cancer From Biopsy to Radical Prostatectomy

Abstract

Background: Biopsy Gleason score (GS) is crucial for prostate cancer (PCa) treatment decision-making. Upgrading in GS from biopsy to radical prostatectomy (RP) puts a proportion of patients at risk of undertreatment.

Purpose: To develop and validate a radiomics model based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) to predict PCa upgrading.

Study type: Retrospective, radiomics.

Population: A total of 166 RP-confirmed PCa patients (training cohort, n = 116; validation cohort, n = 50) were included.

Field strength/sequence: 3.0T/T₂ -weighted (T₂ W), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE) sequences.

Assessment: PI-RADSv2 score for each tumor was recorded. Radiomic features were extracted from T₂ W, ADC, and DCE sequences and Mutual Information Maximization criterion was used to identify the optimal features on each sequence. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop predictive models and a radiomics nomogram and their performance was evaluated.

Statistical tests: Student's t or chi-square were used to assess the differences in clinicopathologic data between the training and validation cohorts. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated.

Results: In PI-RADSv2 assessment, 67 lesions scored 5, 70 lesions scored 4, and 29 lesions scored 3. For each sequence, 4404 features were extracted and the top 20 best features were selected. The radiomics model incorporating signatures from the three sequences achieved better performance than any single sequence (AUC: radiomics model 0.868, T₂ W 0.700, ADC 0.759, DCE 0.726). The combined mode incorporating radiomics signature, clinical stage, and time from biopsy to RP outperformed the clinical model and radiomics model (AUC: combined model 0.910, clinical model 0.646, radiomics model 0.868). The nomogram showed good performance (AUC 0.910) and calibration (P-values: training cohort 0.624, validation cohort 0.294).

Data conclusion: Radiomics based on mp-MRI has potential to predict upgrading of PCa from biopsy to RP.

Level of evidence: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 5 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:1239-1248.

Keywords: Gleason score; magnetic resonance imaging; prostate cancer; radiomics.