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Hosseini SA, Shiri I, Ghaffarian P, Hajianfar G, Avval AH, Seyfi M, Servaes S, Rosa-Neto P, Zaidi H, Ay MR. The effect of harmonization on the variability of PET radiomic features extracted using various segmentation methods. Ann Nucl Med 2024; 38:493-507. [PMID: 38575814 PMCID: PMC11217131 DOI: 10.1007/s12149-024-01923-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to examine the robustness of positron emission tomography (PET) radiomic features extracted via different segmentation methods before and after ComBat harmonization in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS We included 120 patients (positive recurrence = 46 and negative recurrence = 74) referred for PET scanning as a routine part of their care. All patients had a biopsy-proven NSCLC. Nine segmentation methods were applied to each image, including manual delineation, K-means (KM), watershed, fuzzy-C-mean, region-growing, local active contour (LAC), and iterative thresholding (IT) with 40, 45, and 50% thresholds. Diverse image discretizations, both without a filter and with different wavelet decompositions, were applied to PET images. Overall, 6741 radiomic features were extracted from each image (749 radiomic features from each segmented area). Non-parametric empirical Bayes (NPEB) ComBat harmonization was used to harmonize the features. Linear Support Vector Classifier (LinearSVC) with L1 regularization For feature selection and Support Vector Machine classifier (SVM) with fivefold nested cross-validation was performed using StratifiedKFold with 'n_splits' set to 5 to predict recurrence in NSCLC patients and assess the impact of ComBat harmonization on the outcome. RESULTS From 749 extracted radiomic features, 206 (27%) and 389 (51%) features showed excellent reliability (ICC ≥ 0.90) against segmentation method variation before and after NPEB ComBat harmonization, respectively. Among all, 39 features demonstrated poor reliability, which declined to 10 after ComBat harmonization. The 64 fixed bin widths (without any filter) and wavelets (LLL)-based radiomic features set achieved the best performance in terms of robustness against diverse segmentation techniques before and after ComBat harmonization. The first-order and GLRLM and also first-order and NGTDM feature families showed the largest number of robust features before and after ComBat harmonization, respectively. In terms of predicting recurrence in NSCLC, our findings indicate that using ComBat harmonization can significantly enhance machine learning outcomes, particularly improving the accuracy of watershed segmentation, which initially had fewer reliable features than manual contouring. Following the application of ComBat harmonization, the majority of cases saw substantial increase in sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSION Radiomic features are vulnerable to different segmentation methods. ComBat harmonization might be considered a solution to overcome the poor reliability of radiomic features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyyed Ali Hosseini
- Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory, The McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging, Douglas Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Isaac Shiri
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Pardis Ghaffarian
- Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- PET/CT and Cyclotron Center, Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ghasem Hajianfar
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | | | - Milad Seyfi
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Research Center for Molecular and Cellular Imaging, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Stijn Servaes
- Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory, The McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging, Douglas Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Pedro Rosa-Neto
- Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory, The McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging, Douglas Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Habib Zaidi
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, Groningen, Netherlands.
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 500, Odense, Denmark.
- University Research and Innovation Center, Óbudabuda University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Mohammad Reza Ay
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Research Center for Molecular and Cellular Imaging, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Zanon C, Quaia E, Crimì F. Introduction to Special Issue Imaging in Cancer Diagnosis. Tomography 2024; 10:101-104. [PMID: 38250955 PMCID: PMC10820471 DOI: 10.3390/tomography10010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
In the field of oncology, the precision of cancer imaging is the cornerstone of oncological patient care [...].
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Filippo Crimì
- Institute of Radiology, Department of Medicine—DIMED, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (C.Z.); (E.Q.)
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Yang H, Xu Y, Dong M, Zhang Y, Gong J, Huang D, He J, Wei L, Huang S, Zhao L. Automated Prediction of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Response in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer Using Hybrid Model-Based MRI Radiomics. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 14:5. [PMID: 38201314 PMCID: PMC10795804 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to develop a model that automatically predicts the neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) response for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) based on T2-weighted MR images and clinical parameters. METHODS A total of 138 patients were enrolled, and T2-weighted MR images and clinical information of the patients before treatment were collected. Clinical information included age, stage, pathological type, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) level, and lymph node status. A hybrid model extracted the domain-specific features from the computational radiomics system, the abstract features from the deep learning network, and the clinical parameters. Then, it employed an ensemble learning classifier weighted by logistic regression (LR) classifier, support vector machine (SVM) classifier, K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) classifier, and Bayesian classifier to predict the pathologic complete response (pCR). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC), accuracy (ACC), true positive rate (TPR), true negative rate (TNR), and precision were used as evaluation metrics. RESULTS Among the 138 LACC patients, 74 were in the pCR group, and 64 were in the non-pCR group. There was no significant difference between the two cohorts in terms of tumor diameter (p = 0.787), lymph node (p = 0.068), and stage before radiotherapy (p = 0.846), respectively. The 109-dimension domain features and 1472-dimension abstract features from MRI images were used to form a hybrid model. The average AUC, ACC, TPR, TNR, and precision of the proposed hybrid model were about 0.80, 0.71, 0.75, 0.66, and 0.71, while the AUC values of using clinical parameters, domain-specific features, and abstract features alone were 0.61, 0.67 and 0.76, respectively. The AUC value of the model without an ensemble learning classifier was 0.76. CONCLUSIONS The proposed hybrid model can predict the radiotherapy response of patients with LACC, which might help radiation oncologists create personalized treatment plans for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China; (H.Y.); (Y.Z.); (J.G.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
| | - Yinan Xu
- Key Lab of Intelligent Perception and Image Understanding of Ministry of Education, Xidian University, Xi’an 710071, China;
| | - Mohan Dong
- Department of Medical Education, Xijing Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China;
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China; (H.Y.); (Y.Z.); (J.G.)
| | - Jie Gong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China; (H.Y.); (Y.Z.); (J.G.)
| | - Dong Huang
- Department of Military Biomedical Engineering, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710012, China;
| | - Junhua He
- Department of Radiation Oncology, 986 Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710054, China;
| | - Lichun Wei
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China; (H.Y.); (Y.Z.); (J.G.)
| | - Shigao Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China; (H.Y.); (Y.Z.); (J.G.)
| | - Lina Zhao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China; (H.Y.); (Y.Z.); (J.G.)
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Zhang YP, Zhang XY, Cheng YT, Li B, Teng XZ, Zhang J, Lam S, Zhou T, Ma ZR, Sheng JB, Tam VCW, Lee SWY, Ge H, Cai J. Artificial intelligence-driven radiomics study in cancer: the role of feature engineering and modeling. Mil Med Res 2023; 10:22. [PMID: 37189155 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-023-00458-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern medicine is reliant on various medical imaging technologies for non-invasively observing patients' anatomy. However, the interpretation of medical images can be highly subjective and dependent on the expertise of clinicians. Moreover, some potentially useful quantitative information in medical images, especially that which is not visible to the naked eye, is often ignored during clinical practice. In contrast, radiomics performs high-throughput feature extraction from medical images, which enables quantitative analysis of medical images and prediction of various clinical endpoints. Studies have reported that radiomics exhibits promising performance in diagnosis and predicting treatment responses and prognosis, demonstrating its potential to be a non-invasive auxiliary tool for personalized medicine. However, radiomics remains in a developmental phase as numerous technical challenges have yet to be solved, especially in feature engineering and statistical modeling. In this review, we introduce the current utility of radiomics by summarizing research on its application in the diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of treatment responses in patients with cancer. We focus on machine learning approaches, for feature extraction and selection during feature engineering and for imbalanced datasets and multi-modality fusion during statistical modeling. Furthermore, we introduce the stability, reproducibility, and interpretability of features, and the generalizability and interpretability of models. Finally, we offer possible solutions to current challenges in radiomics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Peng Zhang
- Department of Medical Informatics, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China
| | - Xin-Yun Zhang
- Department of Medical Informatics, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu-Ting Cheng
- Department of Medical Informatics, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bing Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Xin-Zhi Teng
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Jiang Zhang
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Saikit Lam
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Ta Zhou
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Zong-Rui Ma
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Jia-Bao Sheng
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Victor C W Tam
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Shara W Y Lee
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Hong Ge
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Jing Cai
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
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Dovrou A, Bei E, Sfakianakis S, Marias K, Papanikolaou N, Zervakis M. Synergies of Radiomics and Transcriptomics in Lung Cancer Diagnosis: A Pilot Study. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:738. [PMID: 36832225 PMCID: PMC9955510 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13040738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Radiotranscriptomics is an emerging field that aims to investigate the relationships between the radiomic features extracted from medical images and gene expression profiles that contribute in the diagnosis, treatment planning, and prognosis of cancer. This study proposes a methodological framework for the investigation of these associations with application on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Six publicly available NSCLC datasets with transcriptomics data were used to derive and validate a transcriptomic signature for its ability to differentiate between cancer and non-malignant lung tissue. A publicly available dataset of 24 NSCLC-diagnosed patients, with both transcriptomic and imaging data, was used for the joint radiotranscriptomic analysis. For each patient, 749 Computed Tomography (CT) radiomic features were extracted and the corresponding transcriptomics data were provided through DNA microarrays. The radiomic features were clustered using the iterative K-means algorithm resulting in 77 homogeneous clusters, represented by meta-radiomic features. The most significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected by performing Significance Analysis of Microarrays (SAM) and 2-fold change. The interactions among the CT imaging features and the selected DEGs were investigated using SAM and a Spearman rank correlation test with a False Discovery Rate (FDR) of 5%, leading to the extraction of 73 DEGs significantly correlated with radiomic features. These genes were used to produce predictive models of the meta-radiomics features, defined as p-metaomics features, by performing Lasso regression. Of the 77 meta-radiomic features, 51 can be modeled in terms of the transcriptomic signature. These significant radiotranscriptomics relationships form a reliable basis to biologically justify the radiomics features extracted from anatomic imaging modalities. Thus, the biological value of these radiomic features was justified via enrichment analysis on their transcriptomics-based regression models, revealing closely associated biological processes and pathways. Overall, the proposed methodological framework provides joint radiotranscriptomics markers and models to support the connection and complementarities between the transcriptome and the phenotype in cancer, as demonstrated in the case of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikaterini Dovrou
- Digital Image and Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Technical University of Crete, GR-73100 Chania, Greece
| | - Ekaterini Bei
- Digital Image and Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Technical University of Crete, GR-73100 Chania, Greece
| | - Stelios Sfakianakis
- Computational BioMedicine Laboratory, Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, GR-70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Kostas Marias
- Computational BioMedicine Laboratory, Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, GR-70013 Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, GR-71410 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nickolas Papanikolaou
- Computational Clinical Imaging Group, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Champalimaud Foundation, Avenida Brasilia, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Michalis Zervakis
- Digital Image and Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Technical University of Crete, GR-73100 Chania, Greece
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A Synopsis of Machine and Deep Learning in Medical Physics and Radiology. JOURNAL OF BASIC AND CLINICAL HEALTH SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.30621/jbachs.960154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) technologies introduced in the fields of medical physics, radiology, and oncology have made great strides in the past few years. A good many applications have proven to be an efficacious automated diagnosis and radiotherapy system. This paper outlines DL's general concepts and principles, key computational methods, and resources, as well as the implementation of automated models in diagnostic radiology and radiation oncology research. In addition, the potential challenges and solutions of DL technology are also discussed.
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Radiogenomics: Hunting Down Liver Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215547. [PMID: 34771709 PMCID: PMC8582778 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer and the second most deadly tumor type in the world. The liver is the most common site of metastasis in CRC patients. The conversion of new imaging biomarkers into diagnostic, prognostic and predictive signatures, by the development of radiomics and radiogenomics, is an important potential new tool for the clinical management of cancer patients. In this review, we assess the knowledge gained from radiomics and radiogenomics studies in liver metastatic colorectal cancer patients and their possible use for early diagnosis, response assessment and treatment decisions. Abstract Radiomics is a developing new discipline that analyzes conventional medical images to extract quantifiable data that can be mined for new biomarkers that show the biology of pathological processes at microscopic levels. These data can be converted into image-based signatures to improve diagnostic, prognostic and predictive accuracy in cancer patients. The combination of radiomics and molecular data, called radiogenomics, has clear implications for cancer patients’ management. Though some studies have focused on radiogenomics signatures in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, only a few have examined colorectal cancer metastatic lesions in the liver. Moreover, the need to differentiate between liver lesions is fundamental for accurate diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we summarize the knowledge gained from radiomics and radiogenomics studies in hepatic metastatic colorectal cancer patients and their use in early diagnosis, response assessment and treatment decisions. We also investigate their value as possible prognostic biomarkers. In addition, the great potential of image mining to provide a comprehensive view of liver niche formation is examined thoroughly. Finally, new challenges and current limitations for the early detection of the liver premetastatic niche, based on radiomics and radiogenomics, are also discussed.
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Structured Reporting of Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance in the Staging of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Delphi Consensus Proposal. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11112033. [PMID: 34829384 PMCID: PMC8621603 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11112033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Structured reporting (SR) in radiology has been recognized recently by major scientific societies. This study aims to build structured computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR)-based reports in pancreatic adenocarcinoma during the staging phase in order to improve communication between the radiologist and members of multidisciplinary teams. Materials and Methods: A panel of expert radiologists, members of the Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology, was established. A modified Delphi process was used to develop the CT-SR and MRI-SR, assessing a level of agreement for all report sections. Cronbach’s alpha (Cα) correlation coefficient was used to assess internal consistency for each section and to measure quality analysis according to the average inter-item correlation. Results: The final CT-SR version was built by including n = 16 items in the “Patient Clinical Data” section, n = 11 items in the “Clinical Evaluation” section, n = 7 items in the “Imaging Protocol” section, and n = 18 items in the “Report” section. Overall, 52 items were included in the final version of the CT-SR. The final MRI-SR version was built by including n = 16 items in the “Patient Clinical Data” section, n = 11 items in the “Clinical Evaluation” section, n = 8 items in the “Imaging Protocol” section, and n = 14 items in the “Report” section. Overall, 49 items were included in the final version of the MRI-SR. In the first round for CT-SR, all sections received more than a good rating. The overall mean score of the experts was 4.85. The Cα correlation coefficient was 0.85. In the second round, the overall mean score of the experts was 4.87, and the Cα correlation coefficient was 0.94. In the first round, for MRI-SR, all sections received more than a good rating. The overall mean score of the experts was 4.73. The Cα correlation coefficient was 0.82. In the second round, the overall mean score of the experts was 4.91, and the Cα correlation coefficient was 0.93. Conclusions: The CT-SR and MRI-SR are based on a multi-round consensus-building Delphi exercise derived from the multidisciplinary agreement of expert radiologists in order to obtain more appropriate communication tools for referring physicians.
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Structured Reporting of Lung Cancer Staging: A Consensus Proposal. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11091569. [PMID: 34573911 PMCID: PMC8465460 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11091569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Structured reporting (SR) in radiology is becoming necessary and has recently been recognized by major scientific societies. This study aimed to build CT-based structured reports for lung cancer during the staging phase, in order to improve communication between radiologists, members of the multidisciplinary team and patients. Materials and Methods: A panel of expert radiologists, members of the Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology, was established. A modified Delphi exercise was used to build the structural report and to assess the level of agreement for all the report sections. The Cronbach’s alpha (Cα) correlation coefficient was used to assess internal consistency for each section and to perform a quality analysis according to the average inter-item correlation. Results: The final SR version was built by including 16 items in the “Patient Clinical Data” section, 4 items in the “Clinical Evaluation” section, 8 items in the “Exam Technique” section, 22 items in the “Report” section, and 5 items in the “Conclusion” section. Overall, 55 items were included in the final version of the SR. The overall mean of the scores of the experts and the sum of scores for the structured report were 4.5 (range 1–5) and 631 (mean value 67.54, STD 7.53), respectively, in the first round. The items of the structured report with higher accordance in the first round were primary lesion features, lymph nodes, metastasis and conclusions. The overall mean of the scores of the experts and the sum of scores for staging in the structured report were 4.7 (range 4–5) and 807 (mean value 70.11, STD 4.81), respectively, in the second round. The Cronbach’s alpha (Cα) correlation coefficient was 0.89 in the first round and 0.92 in the second round for staging in the structured report. Conclusions: The wide implementation of SR is critical for providing referring physicians and patients with the best quality of service, and for providing researchers with the best quality of data in the context of the big data exploitation of the available clinical data. Implementation is complex, requiring mature technology to successfully address pending user-friendliness, organizational and interoperability challenges.
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