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Bianconi F, Salis R, Fravolini ML, Khan MU, Minestrini M, Filippi L, Marongiu A, Nuvoli S, Spanu A, Palumbo B. Performance Analysis of Six Semi-Automated Tumour Delineation Methods on [ 18F] Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (FDG PET/CT) in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:7952. [PMID: 37766009 PMCID: PMC10537871 DOI: 10.3390/s23187952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Background. Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common neoplastic disorder at the global level. Contouring HNC lesions on [18F] Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) scans plays a fundamental role for diagnosis, risk assessment, radiotherapy planning and post-treatment evaluation. However, manual contouring is a lengthy and tedious procedure which requires significant effort from the clinician. Methods. We evaluated the performance of six hand-crafted, training-free methods (four threshold-based, two algorithm-based) for the semi-automated delineation of HNC lesions on FDG PET/CT. This study was carried out on a single-centre population of n=103 subjects, and the standard of reference was manual segmentation generated by nuclear medicine specialists. Figures of merit were the Sørensen-Dice coefficient (DSC) and relative volume difference (RVD). Results. Median DSC ranged between 0.595 and 0.792, median RVD between -22.0% and 87.4%. Click and draw and Nestle's methods achieved the best segmentation accuracy (median DSC, respectively, 0.792 ± 0.178 and 0.762 ± 0.107; median RVD, respectively, -21.6% ± 1270.8% and -32.7% ± 40.0%) and outperformed the other methods by a significant margin. Nestle's method also resulted in a lower dispersion of the data, hence showing stronger inter-patient stability. The accuracy of the two best methods was in agreement with the most recent state-of-the art results. Conclusions. Semi-automated PET delineation methods show potential to assist clinicians in the segmentation of HNC lesions on FDG PET/CT images, although manual refinement may sometimes be needed to obtain clinically acceptable ROIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Bianconi
- Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Goffredo Duranti 93, 06125 Perugia, Italy; (M.L.F.); (M.U.K.)
| | - Roberto Salis
- Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (R.S.); (A.M.); (S.N.)
| | - Mario Luca Fravolini
- Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Goffredo Duranti 93, 06125 Perugia, Italy; (M.L.F.); (M.U.K.)
| | - Muhammad Usama Khan
- Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Goffredo Duranti 93, 06125 Perugia, Italy; (M.L.F.); (M.U.K.)
| | - Matteo Minestrini
- Section of Nuclear Medicine and Health Physics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Piazza Lucio Severi 1, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (M.M.); (B.P.)
| | - Luca Filippi
- Policlinico Tor Vergata Hospital, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Andrea Marongiu
- Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (R.S.); (A.M.); (S.N.)
| | - Susanna Nuvoli
- Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (R.S.); (A.M.); (S.N.)
| | - Angela Spanu
- Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (R.S.); (A.M.); (S.N.)
| | - Barbara Palumbo
- Section of Nuclear Medicine and Health Physics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Piazza Lucio Severi 1, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (M.M.); (B.P.)
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Mutuleanu MD, Paun DL, Lazar AM, Petroiu C, Trifanescu OG, Anghel RM, Gherghe M. Quantitative vs. Qualitative SPECT-CT Diagnostic Accuracy in Bone Lesion Evaluation-A Review of the Literature. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2971. [PMID: 37761338 PMCID: PMC10529093 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13182971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Considering the importance that quantitative molecular imaging has gained and the need for objective and reproducible image interpretation, the aim of the present review is to emphasize the benefits of performing a quantitative interpretation of single photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT) studies compared to qualitative interpretation methods in bone lesion evaluations while suggesting new directions for research on this topic. (2) Methods: By conducting comprehensive literature research, we performed an analysis of published data regarding the use of quantitative and qualitative SPECT-CT in the evaluation of bone metastases. (3) Results: Several studies have evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of quantitative and qualitative SPECT-CT in differentiating between benign and metastatic bone lesions. We collected the sensitivity and specificity for both quantitative and qualitative SPECT-CT; their values ranged between 74-92% and 81-93% for quantitative bone SPECT-CT and between 60-100% and 41-100% for qualitative bone SPECT-CT. (4) Conclusions: Both qualitative and quantitative SPECT-CT present an increased potential for better differentiating between benign and metastatic bone lesions, with the latter offering additional objective information, thus increasing diagnostic accuracy and enabling the possibility of performing treatment response evaluation through accurate measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario-Demian Mutuleanu
- Nuclear Medicine Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania; (A.M.L.); (C.P.)
| | - Diana Loreta Paun
- Endocrinology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
- Endocrinology Department, National Institute of Endocrinology “C.I. Parhon”, 011863 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Alexandra Maria Lazar
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania; (A.M.L.); (C.P.)
- Carcinogenesis and Molecular Biology Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Cristina Petroiu
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania; (A.M.L.); (C.P.)
| | - Oana Gabriela Trifanescu
- Oncology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
- Radiotherapy II Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Rodica Maricela Anghel
- Oncology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
- Radiotherapy II Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mirela Gherghe
- Nuclear Medicine Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania; (A.M.L.); (C.P.)
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Wang H, Li Y, Han J, Lin Q, Zhao L, Li Q, Zhao J, Li H, Wang Y, Hu C. A machine learning-based PET/CT model for automatic diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1192908. [PMID: 37786508 PMCID: PMC10541960 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1192908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective The aim of this study was to develop a machine learning-based automatic analysis method for the diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer based on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) data. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using PET/CT data from 187 cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 190 benign pulmonary nodules. Twelve PET and CT features were used to train a diagnosis model. The performance of the machine learning-based PET/CT model was tested and validated in two separate cohorts comprising 462 and 229 cases, respectively. Results The standardized uptake value (SUV) was identified as an important biochemical factor for the early stage of lung cancer in this model. The PET/CT diagnosis model had a sensitivity and area under the curve (AUC) of 86.5% and 0.89, respectively. The testing group comprising 462 cases showed a sensitivity and AUC of 85.7% and 0.87, respectively, while the validation group comprising 229 cases showed a sensitivity and AUC of 88.4% and 0.91, respectively. Additionally, the proposed model improved the clinical discrimination ability for solid pulmonary nodules (SPNs) in the early stage significantly. Conclusion The feature data collected from PET/CT scans can be analyzed automatically using machine learning techniques. The results of this study demonstrated that the proposed model can significantly improve the accuracy and positive predictive value (PPV) of SPNs at the early stage. Furthermore, this algorithm can be optimized into a robotic and less biased PET/CT automatic diagnosis system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huoqiang Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiexi Han
- Shanghai miRAN Biotech Co. Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Qin Lin
- Department of Geriatrics, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Long Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Juan Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haohao Li
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yiran Wang
- Shanghai miRAN Biotech Co. Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Changlong Hu
- School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Gherghe M, Mutuleanu MD, Stanciu AE, Irimescu I, Lazar AM, Toma RV, Trifanescu OG, Anghel RM. Quantitative Assessment of Treatment Response in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients by SPECT-CT Bone Imaging-Getting Closer to PET-CT. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030696. [PMID: 36765651 PMCID: PMC9913230 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer represents the major cause of death mainly through its ability to spread to other organs, highlighting the importance of metastatic disease diagnosis and accurate follow up for treatment management purposes. Although until recently the main method for imaging interpretation was represented by qualitative methods, quantitative analysis of SPECT-CT data represents a viable, objective option. METHODS Seventy-five breast cancer patients presenting metastatic bone disease underwent at least two Bone SPECT-CT studies using [99mTc]-HDP between November 2019 to October 2022. RESULTS Our findings show a good positive relationship between the qualitative methods of imaging interpretation and quantitative analysis, with a correlation coefficient of 0.608 between qualitative whole body scintigraphy and quantitative SPECT-CT, and a correlation coefficient of 0.711 between the qualitative and quantitative interpretation of SPECT-CT data; nevertheless, there is a need for accurate, objective and reproducible methods for imaging interpretation, especially for research purposes. CONCLUSIONS Quantitative evaluation of the SPECT-CT data has the potential to be the first choice of imaging interpretation for patient follow up and treatment response evaluation, especially for research purposes, because of its objectivity and expression of uptake changes in absolute units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirela Gherghe
- Nuclear Medicine Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila Bucharest, 050474 București, Romania
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mario-Demian Mutuleanu
- Nuclear Medicine Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila Bucharest, 050474 București, Romania
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
- Correspondence:
| | - Adina Elena Stanciu
- Carcinogenesis and Molecular Biology Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ionela Irimescu
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Alexandra Maria Lazar
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Radu Valeriu Toma
- Oncology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila Bucharest, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
- Radiotherapy I Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Oana Gabriela Trifanescu
- Oncology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila Bucharest, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
- Radiotherapy II Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Rodica Maricela Anghel
- Oncology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila Bucharest, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
- Radiotherapy II Department, Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu”, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
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Mercieca S, Belderbos JSA, van Herk M. Challenges in the target volume definition of lung cancer radiotherapy. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2021; 10:1983-1998. [PMID: 34012808 PMCID: PMC8107734 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-20-627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Radiotherapy, with or without systemic treatment has an important role in the management of lung cancer. In order to deliver the treatment accurately, the clinician must precisely outline the gross tumour volume (GTV), mostly on computed tomography (CT) images. However, due to the limited contrast between tumour and non-malignant changes in the lung tissue, it can be difficult to distinguish the tumour boundaries on CT images leading to large interobserver variation and differences in interpretation. Therefore the definition of the GTV has often been described as the weakest link in radiotherapy with its inaccuracy potentially leading to missing the tumour or unnecessarily irradiating normal tissue. In this article, we review the various techniques that can be used to reduce delineation uncertainties in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Mercieca
- Faculty of Health Science, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.,The University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - José S A Belderbos
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel van Herk
- University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Centre, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
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Tibdewal A, Patil M, Misra S, Purandare N, Rangarajan V, Mummudi N, Karimundackal G, Jiwnani S, Agarwal J. Optimal Standardized Uptake Value Threshold for Auto contouring of Gross Tumor Volume using Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Patients with Operable Nonsmall-Cell Lung Cancer: Comparison with Pathological Tumor Size. Indian J Nucl Med 2021; 36:7-13. [PMID: 34040289 PMCID: PMC8130683 DOI: 10.4103/ijnm.ijnm_134_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Incorporating 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) for gross tumor volume (GTV) delineation is challenging due to varying tumor edge based on the set threshold of the standardized uptake value (SUV). This study aims to determine an optimal SUV threshold that correlates best with the pathological tumor size. Materials and Methods: From January 2013 to July 2014, 25 consecutive patients of operable nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent staging18F-FDG-PET/CT before surgical resection were included in the test cohort and 12 patients in the validation cohort. GTVs were delineated on the staging PET/CT by automatic delineation using various percentage threshold of maximum SUV (SUVmax) and absolute SUV. The maximum pathological tumor diameter was then matched with the maximum auto-delineated tumor diameter with varying SUV thresholds. First-order linear regression and Bland–Altman plots were used to obtain an optimal SUV threshold for each patient. Three radiation oncologists with varying degrees of experiences also delineated GTVs with the visual aid of PET/CT to assess interobserver variation in delineation. Results: In the test set, the mean optimal percentage threshold for GTV was SUVmax of 35.6%±18.6% and absolute SUV of 4.35 ± 1.7. In the validation set, the mean optimal percentage threshold SUV and absolute SUV were 36.9 ± 16.9 and 4.1 ± 1.6, respectively. After a combined analysis of all 37 patients, the mean optimal threshold was 36% ± 17.9% and 4.27 ± 1.7, respectively. Using Bland–Altman plots, auto-contouring with 40% SUVmax and SUV 4 was in greater agreement with the pathological tumor diameter. Conclusion: Automatic GTV delineation on PETCT in NSCLC with percentage threshold SUV of 40% and absolute SUV of 4 correlated best with pathological tumor size. Auto-contouring using these thresholds will increase the precision of radiotherapy contouring of GTV and will save time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Tibdewal
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Mangesh Patil
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Shagun Misra
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Nilendu Purandare
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Venkatesh Rangarajan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Naveen Mummudi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - George Karimundackal
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Sabita Jiwnani
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Jaiprakash Agarwal
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Hatt M, Tixier F, Desseroit MC, Badic B, Laurent B, Visvikis D, Rest CCL. Revisiting the identification of tumor sub-volumes predictive of residual uptake after (chemo)radiotherapy: influence of segmentation methods on 18F-FDG PET/CT images. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14925. [PMID: 31624321 PMCID: PMC6797734 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51096-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Our aim was to evaluate the impact of the accuracy of image segmentation techniques on establishing an overlap between pre-treatment and post-treatment functional tumour volumes in 18FDG-PET/CT imaging. Simulated images and a clinical cohort were considered. Three different configurations (large, small or non-existent overlap) of a single simulated example was used to elucidate the behaviour of each approach. Fifty-four oesophageal and head and neck (H&N) cancer patients treated with radiochemotherapy with both pre- and post-treatment PET/CT scans were retrospectively analysed. Images were registered and volumes were determined using combinations of thresholds and the fuzzy locally adaptive Bayesian (FLAB) algorithm. Four overlap metrics were calculated. The simulations showed that thresholds lead to biased overlap estimation and that accurate metrics are obtained despite spatially inaccurate volumes. In the clinical dataset, only 17 patients exhibited residual uptake smaller than the pre-treatment volume. Overlaps obtained with FLAB were consistently moderate for esophageal and low for H&N cases across all metrics. Overlaps obtained using threshold combinations varied greatly depending on thresholds and metrics. In both cases overlaps were variable across patients. Our findings do not support optimisation of radiotherapy planning based on pre-treatment 18FDG-PET/CT image definition of high-uptake sub-volumes. Combinations of thresholds may have led to overestimation of overlaps in previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Hatt
- LaTIM, INSERM, UMR 1101, Univ Brest, Brest, France.
| | - Florent Tixier
- LaTIM, INSERM, UMR 1101, Univ Brest, Brest, France
- Nuclear Medicine department, CHU Milétrie, Poitiers, France
| | - Marie-Charlotte Desseroit
- LaTIM, INSERM, UMR 1101, Univ Brest, Brest, France
- Nuclear Medicine department, CHU Milétrie, Poitiers, France
| | - Bogdan Badic
- LaTIM, INSERM, UMR 1101, Univ Brest, Brest, France
| | | | | | - Catherine Cheze Le Rest
- LaTIM, INSERM, UMR 1101, Univ Brest, Brest, France
- Nuclear Medicine department, CHU Milétrie, Poitiers, France
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PET and MRI based RT treatment planning: Handling uncertainties. Cancer Radiother 2019; 23:753-760. [PMID: 31427076 DOI: 10.1016/j.canrad.2019.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Imaging provides the basis for radiotherapy. Multi-modality images are used for target delineation (primary tumor and nodes, boost volume) and organs at risk, treatment guidance, outcome prediction, and treatment assessment. Next to anatomical information, more and more functional imaging is being used. The current paper provides a brief overview of the different applications of imaging techniques used in the radiotherapy process, focusing on uncertainties and QA. The paper mainly focuses on PET and MRI, but also provides a short discussion on DCE-CT. A close collaboration between radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy departments provides the key to improve the quality of radiotherapy. Jointly developed imaging protocols (RT position setup, immobilization tools, lasers, flat table…), and QA programs are mandatory. For PET, suitable windowing in consultation with a Nuclear Medicine Physician is crucial (differentiation benign/malignant lesions, artifacts…). A basic knowledge of MRI sequences is required, in such a way that geometrical distortions are easily recognized by all members the RT and RT physics team. If this is not the case, then the radiologist should be introduced systematically in the delineation process and multidisciplinary meetings need to be organized regularly. For each image modality and each image registration process, the associated uncertainties need to be determined and integrated in the PTV margin. When using functional information for dose painting, response assessment or outcome prediction, collaboration between the different departments is even more important. Limitations of imaging based biomarkers (specificity, sensitivity) should be known.
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Branchini M, Zorz A, Zucchetta P, Bettinelli A, De Monte F, Cecchin D, Paiusco M. Impact of acquisition count statistics reduction and SUV discretization on PET radiomic features in pediatric 18F-FDG-PET/MRI examinations. Phys Med 2019; 59:117-126. [PMID: 30928060 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The evaluation of features robustness with respect to acquisition and post-processing parameter changes is fundamental for the reliability of radiomics studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the sensitivity of PET radiomic features to acquisition statistics reduction and standardized-uptake-volume (SUV) discretization in PET/MRI pediatric examinations. METHODS Twenty-seven lesions were detected from the analysis of twenty-one 18F-FDG-PET/MRI pediatric examinations. By decreasing the count-statistics of the original list-mode data (3 MBq/kg), injected activity reduction was simulated. Two SUV discretization approaches were applied: 1) resampling lesion SUV range into fixed bins numbers (FBN); 2) rounding lesion SUV into fixed bin size (FBS). One hundred and six radiomic features were extracted. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), Spearman correlation coefficient and coefficient-of-variation (COV) were calculated to assess feature reproducibility between low tracer activities and full tracer activity feature values. RESULTS More than 70% of Shape and first order features, and around 70% and 40% of textural features, when using FBS and FBN methods respectively, resulted robust till 1.2 MBk/kg. Differences in median features reproducibility (ICC) between FBS and FBN datasets were statistically significant for every activity level independently from bin number/size, with higher values for FBS. Differences in median Spearman coefficient (i.e. patient ranking according to feature values) were not statistically significant, varying the intensity resolution (i.e. bin number/size) for either FBS and FBN methods. CONCLUSIONS For each simulated count-statistic level, robust PET radiomic features were determined for pediatric PET/MRI examinations. A larger number of robust features were detected when using FBS methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Branchini
- Medical Physics Department, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Zorz
- Medical Physics Department, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Pietro Zucchetta
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University Hospital of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Bettinelli
- Medical Physics Department, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca De Monte
- Medical Physics Department, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Diego Cecchin
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University Hospital of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Marta Paiusco
- Medical Physics Department, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padova, Italy
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