The clinical utility of prostate cancer heterogeneity using texture analysis of multiparametric MRI

To determine if multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) derived filtration-histogram based texture analysis (TA) can differentiate between different Gleason scores (GS) and the D'Amico risk in prostate cancer.

We retrospectively studied patients whose pre-operative 1.5T mpMRI had shown a visible tumour and who subsequently underwent radical prostatectomy (RP). Guided by tumour location from the histopathology report, we drew a region of interest around the dominant visible lesion on a single axial slice on the T2, Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) map and early arterial phase post-contrast T1 image. We then performed TA with a filtration-histogram software (TexRAD -Feedback Medical Ltd, Cambridge, UK). We correlated GS and D'Amico risk with texture using the Spearman's rank correlation test.

We had 26 RP patients with an MR-visible tumour. Mean of positive pixels (MPP) on ADC showed a significant negative correlation with GS at coarse texture scales. MPP showed a significant negative correlation with GS without filtration and with medium filtration. MRI contrast texture without filtration showed a significant, negative correlation with D'Amico score. MR T2 texture showed a significant, negative correlation with the D'Amico risk, particularly at textures without filtration, medium texture scales and coarse texture scales.

ADC map mpMRI TA correlated negatively with GS, and T2 and post-contrast images with the D'Amico risk score. These associations may allow for better assessment of disease prognosis and a non-invasive method of follow-up for patients on surveillance. Further, identifying clinically significant prostate cancer is essential to reduce harm from over-diagnosis and over-treatment.