Early prognostication of overall survival for pediatric diffuse midline gliomas using MRI radiomics and machine

Xinyang Liu1, Zhifan Jiang1, Holger R Roth2

  • 1Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Machine learning using MRI radiomics can predict survival in pediatric diffuse midline gliomas (DMG). This approach aids in identifying patients likely to survive less than 12 months, guiding personalized treatment strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Neuro-oncology
  • Medical imaging analysis
  • Machine learning in medicine

Background:

  • Diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) are aggressive pediatric brain tumors.
  • MRI is crucial for DMG diagnosis and monitoring.
  • Predicting patient survival is essential for guiding treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an automatic pipeline for segmenting DMG subregions.
  • To identify radiomic features that predict patient overall survival (OS).
  • To create machine learning models for predicting 12-month survival in pediatric DMG patients.

Main Methods:

  • Acquired multisequence MRI data from two centers (internal and external cohorts).
  • Utilized a deep learning model for automatic segmentation of tumor core (TC) and whole tumor (WT) volumes.
  • Employed PyRadiomics and sequential feature selection for radiomic feature extraction and selection.
  • Trained machine learning models on baseline and post-radiation therapy (RT) data to predict 12-month survival.

Main Results:

  • Achieved overall survival prediction accuracies ranging from 77% to 85% across internal and external cohorts.
  • Identified homogeneous WT intensity in baseline T2 FLAIR and larger post-RT TC/WT volume ratio as indicators of shorter OS.
  • Demonstrated the effectiveness of radiomic features in predicting survival outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Machine learning analysis of MRI radiomics offers a non-invasive method for predicting survival in pediatric DMG.
  • This approach can accurately stratify patients likely to survive less than 12 months.
  • Findings support the use of radiomics for guiding therapy and improving patient management.

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