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Irshad HA, Shariq SF, Khan MAA, Shaikh T, Kakar WG, Shakir M, Hankinson TC, Enam SA. Delay in the Diagnosis of Pediatric Brain Tumors in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Neurosurgery 2024:00006123-990000000-01274. [PMID: 38984834 DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000003097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Vague symptoms and a lack of pathognomonic features hinder the timely diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors (PBTs). However, patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) must also bear the brunt of a multitude of additional factors contributing to diagnostic delays and subsequently affecting survival. Therefore, this study aims to assess these factors and quantify the durations associated with diagnostic delays for PBTs in LMICs. METHODS A systematic review of extant literature regarding children from LMICs diagnosed with brain tumors was conducted. Articles published before June 2023 were identified using PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Web of Science. A meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model through R Statistical Software. Quality was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. RESULTS A total of 40 studies including 2483 patients with PBT from 21 LMICs were identified. Overall, nonspecific symptoms (62.5%) and socioeconomic status (45.0%) were the most frequently reported factors contributing to diagnostic delays. Potential sources of patient-associated delay included lack of parental awareness (45.0%) and financial constraints (42.5%). Factors contributing to health care system delays included misdiagnoses (42.5%) and improper referrals (32.5%). A pooled mean prediagnostic symptomatic interval was calculated to be 230.77 days (127.58-333.96), the patient-associated delay was 146.02 days (16.47-275.57), and the health care system delay was 225.05 days (-64.79 to 514.89). CONCLUSION A multitude of factors contribute to diagnostic delays in LMICs. The disproportionate effect of these factors is demonstrated by the long interval between symptom onset and the definitive diagnosis of PBTs in LMICs, when compared with high-income countries. While evidence-based policy recommendations may improve the pace of diagnosis, policy makers will need to be cognizant of the unique challenges patients and health care systems face in LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Taha Shaikh
- Medical College, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Shakir
- Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Todd C Hankinson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Syed Ather Enam
- Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
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Pacchiano F, Tortora M, Doneda C, Izzo G, Arrigoni F, Ugga L, Cuocolo R, Parazzini C, Righini A, Brunetti A. Radiomics and artificial intelligence applications in pediatric brain tumors. World J Pediatr 2024:10.1007/s12519-024-00823-0. [PMID: 38935233 DOI: 10.1007/s12519-024-00823-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study of central nervous system (CNS) tumors is particularly relevant in the pediatric population because of their relatively high frequency in this demographic and the significant impact on disease- and treatment-related morbidity and mortality. While both morphological and non-morphological magnetic resonance imaging techniques can give important information concerning tumor characterization, grading, and patient prognosis, increasing evidence in recent years has highlighted the need for personalized treatment and the development of quantitative imaging parameters that can predict the nature of the lesion and its possible evolution. For this purpose, radiomics and the use of artificial intelligence software, aimed at obtaining valuable data from images beyond mere visual observation, are gaining increasing importance. This brief review illustrates the current state of the art of this new imaging approach and its contributions to understanding CNS tumors in children. DATA SOURCES We searched the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases using the following key search terms: ("radiomics" AND/OR "artificial intelligence") AND ("pediatric AND brain tumors"). Basic and clinical research literature related to the above key research terms, i.e., studies assessing the key factors, challenges, or problems of using radiomics and artificial intelligence in pediatric brain tumors management, was collected. RESULTS A total of 63 articles were included. The included ones were published between 2008 and 2024. Central nervous tumors are crucial in pediatrics due to their high frequency and impact on disease and treatment. MRI serves as the cornerstone of neuroimaging, providing cellular, vascular, and functional information in addition to morphological features for brain malignancies. Radiomics can provide a quantitative approach to medical imaging analysis, aimed at increasing the information obtainable from the pixels/voxel grey-level values and their interrelationships. The "radiomic workflow" involves a series of iterative steps for reproducible and consistent extraction of imaging data. These steps include image acquisition for tumor segmentation, feature extraction, and feature selection. Finally, the selected features, via training predictive model (CNN), are used to test the final model. CONCLUSIONS In the field of personalized medicine, the application of radiomics and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms brings up new and significant possibilities. Neuroimaging yields enormous amounts of data that are significantly more than what can be gained from visual studies that radiologists can undertake on their own. Thus, new partnerships with other specialized experts, such as big data analysts and AI specialists, are desperately needed. We believe that radiomics and AI algorithms have the potential to move beyond their restricted use in research to clinical applications in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of pediatric patients with brain tumors, despite the limitations set out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Pacchiano
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Mario Tortora
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
- Department of Head and Neck, Neuroradiology Unit, AORN Moscati, Avellino, Italy.
| | - Chiara Doneda
- Department of Pediatric Radiology and Neuroradiology, V. Buzzi Children's Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Giana Izzo
- Department of Pediatric Radiology and Neuroradiology, V. Buzzi Children's Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Filippo Arrigoni
- Department of Pediatric Radiology and Neuroradiology, V. Buzzi Children's Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Ugga
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Renato Cuocolo
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Cecilia Parazzini
- Department of Pediatric Radiology and Neuroradiology, V. Buzzi Children's Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Righini
- Department of Pediatric Radiology and Neuroradiology, V. Buzzi Children's Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Arturo Brunetti
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
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Ismail M, Craig S, Ahmed R, de Blank P, Tiwari P. Opportunities and Advances in Radiomics and Radiogenomics for Pediatric Medulloblastoma Tumors. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2727. [PMID: 37685265 PMCID: PMC10487205 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13172727] [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: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in artificial intelligence have greatly impacted the field of medical imaging and vastly improved the development of computational algorithms for data analysis. In the field of pediatric neuro-oncology, radiomics, the process of obtaining high-dimensional data from radiographic images, has been recently utilized in applications including survival prognostication, molecular classification, and tumor type classification. Similarly, radiogenomics, or the integration of radiomic and genomic data, has allowed for building comprehensive computational models to better understand disease etiology. While there exist excellent review articles on radiomics and radiogenomic pipelines and their applications in adult solid tumors, in this review article, we specifically review these computational approaches in the context of pediatric medulloblastoma tumors. Based on our systematic literature research via PubMed and Google Scholar, we provide a detailed summary of a total of 15 articles that have utilized radiomic and radiogenomic analysis for survival prognostication, tumor segmentation, and molecular subgroup classification in the context of pediatric medulloblastoma. Lastly, we shed light on the current challenges with the existing approaches as well as future directions and opportunities with using these computational radiomic and radiogenomic approaches for pediatric medulloblastoma tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Ismail
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (S.C.); (P.T.)
| | - Stephen Craig
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (S.C.); (P.T.)
| | - Raheel Ahmed
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
| | - Peter de Blank
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA;
| | - Pallavi Tiwari
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (S.C.); (P.T.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Jaju A, Li Y, Dahmoush H, Gottardo NG, Laughlin S, Mirsky D, Panigrahy A, Sabin ND, Shaw D, Storm PB, Poussaint TY, Patay Z, Bhatia A. Imaging of pediatric brain tumors: A COG Diagnostic Imaging Committee/SPR Oncology Committee/ASPNR White Paper. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2023; 70 Suppl 4:e30147. [PMID: 36519599 PMCID: PMC10466217 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Tumors of the central nervous system are the most common solid malignancies in children and the most common cause of pediatric cancer-related mortality. Imaging plays a central role in diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and response assessment of pediatric brain tumors. However, the substantial variability in brain tumor imaging protocols across institutions leads to variability in patient risk stratification and treatment decisions, and complicates comparisons of clinical trial results. This White Paper provides consensus-based imaging recommendations for evaluating pediatric patients with primary brain tumors. The proposed brain magnetic resonance imaging protocol recommendations balance advancements in imaging techniques with the practicality of deployment across most imaging centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok Jaju
- Department of Medical Imaging, Ann and Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yi Li
- UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Hisham Dahmoush
- Department of Radiology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Nicholas G Gottardo
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology and Haematology, Perth Children's Hospital, Brain Tumour Research Programme, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Suzanne Laughlin
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Mirsky
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Ashok Panigrahy
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Noah D Sabin
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Dennis Shaw
- Department of Radiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Phillip B Storm
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tina Young Poussaint
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zoltan Patay
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Aashim Bhatia
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Familiar AM, Mahtabfar A, Fathi Kazerooni A, Kiani M, Vossough A, Viaene A, Storm PB, Resnick AC, Nabavizadeh A. Radio-pathomic approaches in pediatric neuro-oncology: Opportunities and challenges. Neurooncol Adv 2023; 5:vdad119. [PMID: 37841693 PMCID: PMC10576517 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdad119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
With medical software platforms moving to cloud environments with scalable storage and computing, the translation of predictive artificial intelligence (AI) models to aid in clinical decision-making and facilitate personalized medicine for cancer patients is becoming a reality. Medical imaging, namely radiologic and histologic images, has immense analytical potential in neuro-oncology, and models utilizing integrated radiomic and pathomic data may yield a synergistic effect and provide a new modality for precision medicine. At the same time, the ability to harness multi-modal data is met with challenges in aggregating data across medical departments and institutions, as well as significant complexity in modeling the phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity of pediatric brain tumors. In this paper, we review recent pathomic and integrated pathomic, radiomic, and genomic studies with clinical applications. We discuss current challenges limiting translational research on pediatric brain tumors and outline technical and analytical solutions. Overall, we propose that to empower the potential residing in radio-pathomics, systemic changes in cross-discipline data management and end-to-end software platforms to handle multi-modal data sets are needed, in addition to embracing modern AI-powered approaches. These changes can improve the performance of predictive models, and ultimately the ability to advance brain cancer treatments and patient outcomes through the development of such models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana M Familiar
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Aria Mahtabfar
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anahita Fathi Kazerooni
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mahsa Kiani
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arastoo Vossough
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Angela Viaene
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Phillip B Storm
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Adam C Resnick
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ali Nabavizadeh
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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MR Imaging of Pediatric Brain Tumors. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12040961. [PMID: 35454009 PMCID: PMC9029699 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12040961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary brain tumors are the most common solid neoplasms in children and a leading cause of mortality in this population. MRI plays a central role in the diagnosis, characterization, treatment planning, and disease surveillance of intracranial tumors. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of imaging methodology, including conventional and advanced MRI techniques, and illustrate the MRI appearances of common pediatric brain tumors.
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Magnetic resonance angiographic study of variations in course of paraclival and parasellar internal carotid artery in relation to expanded endonasal endoscopic approaches. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2021; 279:3459-3465. [PMID: 34652526 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-021-07123-7] [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: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To study the variations in the course of the paraclival and parasellar carotid arteries in normal subjects using magnetic resonance angiography as is relevant from an endoscopic endonasal perspective. METHODS Two hundred MR angiographies of normal subjects were analyzed in a prospective study. The intercarotid distances were measured at fixed points along the paraclival and parasellar segments of the internal carotid artery. The intercarotid spaces thus obtained were categorized into trapezoid, square and hourglass shapes. The angle between the posterior ascending vertical and horizontal bend of the parasellar ICA was also measured and analyzed. RESULTS The trapezoid shape of intercarotid space is the most common (52.5%), followed by the square (35%) and the hourglass (12.5%) shaped spaces. Angle of < 80° between the posterior ascending vertical and horizontal bend of the parasellar ICA was found in 39% of subjects, angle between 80° and 100° was found in 9% subjects, angle > 100° was found in 43% while asymmetric angles on the two sides was found in 9% of subjects. CONCLUSION A thorough understanding of the course of the ICA is important in planning the approach and preventing injury to the ICA.
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