MR imaging of epithelial ovarian cancer: a combined model to predict histologic subtypes

To compare the performance of clinical features, conventional MR image features, ADC value, T2WI, DWI, DCE-MRI radiomics, and a combined multiple features model in predicting the type of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

In this retrospective analysis, 61 EOC patients were confirmed by histology. Significant features (p < 0.05) by multivariate logistic regression were retained to establish a clinical model, conventional MRI morphological model, ADC model, and traditional model. The radiomics model included FS-T2WI, DWI, and DCE-MRI, and also, a multisequence model was established. A total of 1070 radiomics features of each sequence were extracted; then, univariate analysis and LASSO were used to select important features. Traditional models were combined with a combined radiomics model to establish a mixed model. The predictive performance was validated by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA). A stratified analysis was conducted to compare the differences between the combined radiomics model and the traditional model in identifying early- and late-stage EOC.

Traditional models showed the highest performance (AUC = 0.96). The performance of the mixed model (AUC = 0.97) was not significantly different from that of the traditional model. The calibration curve showed that the traditional model had the highest reliability. Stratified analysis showed the potential of the combined radiomics model in the early distinction of the two tumor types.

The traditional model is an effective tool to distinguish EOC type I/II. Combined radiomics models have the potential to better distinguish EOC types in early FIGO stage disease.

• The combined radiomics model resulted in a better predictive model than that from a single sequence model. • The traditional model showed higher classification accuracy than the combined radiomics model. • Combined radiomics models have the potential to better distinguish EOC types in early FIGO stage disease.