Radiomics nomogram based on enhanced computed tomography (CT) may help predict the prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) before surgery, suggests a study published in the World Journal of Surgical Oncology. This could facilitate clinical decisions and help researchers develop new treatment strategies.
In order to explore the prognostic value of the tool, a team of Chinese researchers led by Xuelei Ma, PhD, conducted a retrospective study in 101 patients with ICC, aged 36 to 79 years. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of the patients were 49.5%, 26.6%, and 14.4%, respectively. The median survival time for all patients was 12.2 months.
The researchers developed a radiomics nomogram using radiomics scores and independent clinical risk factors. Using statistical analyses, they identified 3 independent prognostic factors.
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“The radiomics nomogram showed a significant prognosis value with overall survival,” the researchers stated, and added there was a significant difference in the 1- and 3-year survival rates of patients stratified as high risk and low risk by the nomogram.
The researchers concluded that their radiomics nomogram has potential application value in predicting the prognosis of ICC before surgery.
Radiomics is a field of medical study that aims to extract a large number of quantitative features from medical images using data characterization algorithms. Nomograms are a pictorial representation of biological and clinical variables like tumor grade to graphically depict a statistical prognostic model that can generate a probability of cancer recurrence or death for example.
ICC is an aggressive type of liver carcinoma with increasing incidence and mortality worldwide. It progresses fast in a gradual and subtle way, having very harmful effects. As a result, most patients are at an advanced stage of the disease when they are diagnosed. Surgical resection is still considered the only curative treatment option for patients with resectable disease.
Reference
Tang Y, Zhang T, Zhou X, et al. The preoperative prognostic value of the radiomics nomogram based on CT combined with machine learning in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. 2021;1;19(1):45. World J Surg Oncol. doi:10.1186/s12957-021-02162-0
