CT radiomics models are unable to predict new liver metastasis after successful thermal ablation of colorectal liver metastases

Background Patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) who undergo thermal ablation are at risk of developing new CRLM after ablation. Identification of these patients might enable individualized treatment. Purpose To investigate whether an existing machine-learning model with radiomics features based on pre-ablation computed tomography (CT) images of patients with colorectal cancer can predict development of new CRLM. Material and Methods In total, 94 patients with CRLM who were treated with thermal ablation were analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from the healthy liver parenchyma of CT images in the portal venous phase, before thermal ablation. First, a previously developed radiomics model (Original model) was applied to the entire cohort to predict new CRLM after 6 and 24 months of follow-up. Next, new machine-learning models were developed (Radiomics, Clinical, and Combined), based on radiomics features, clinical features, or a combination of both. Results The external validation of the Original model reached an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.57 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.56–0.58) and 0.52 (95% CI=0.51–0.53) for 6 and 24 months of follow-up. The new predictive radiomics models yielded a higher performance at 6 months compared to 24 months. For the prediction of CRLM at 6 months, the Combined model had slightly better performance (AUC=0.60; 95% CI=0.59–0.61) compared to the Radiomics and Clinical models (AUC=0.55–0.57), while all three models had a low performance for the prediction at 24 months (AUC=0.52–0.53). Conclusion Both the Original and newly developed radiomics models were unable to predict new CLRM based on healthy liver parenchyma in patients who will undergo ablation for CRLM.

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Prospective Evaluation of Intrahepatic Microscopic Occult Tumor Foci in Patients with Numerous Colorectal Liver Metastases

Digestive Surgery ◽

10.1159/000489274 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 340-347 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Luca Vigano ◽

Luca Di Tommaso ◽

Antonio Mimmo ◽

Mauro Sollai ◽

Matteo Cimino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Metastases ◽

Colorectal Liver Metastases ◽

Intraoperative Imaging ◽

Median Number ◽

Early Recurrence ◽

Resected Specimen ◽

Lesion Analysis ◽

Healthy Liver ◽

Disease Free

Background: Patients with numerous colorectal liver metastases (CLM) have high risk of early recurrence after liver resection (LR). The presence of intrahepatic occult microscopic metastases missed by imaging has been hypothesized, but it has never been assessed by pathology analyses. Methods: All patients with > 10 CLM who underwent LR between September 2015 and September 2016 were considered. A large sample of liver without evidence of disease (“healthy liver”) was taken from the resected specimen and sent to the pathologist. One mm-thick sections were analyzed. Any metastasis, undetected by preoperative and intraoperative imaging, but identified by the pathologist was classified as occult microscopic metastasis. Results: Ten patients were prospectively enrolled (median number of CLM n = 15). In a per-lesion analysis, the sensitivity of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging was 91 and 98% respectively. The pathology examination confirmed all the CLM. All patients had an adequate sample of “healthy liver” (median number of examined blocks per sample n = 14 [5–33]). No occult microscopic metastases were detected. After a median follow-up of 15 months, 5 patients were disease-free. Recurrence was hepatic and bilobar in all patients. Conclusions: Clinically relevant occult microscopic disease in patients with numerous CLM is excluded. These results support the indication to resection in such patients and exclude the need for de principe major hepatectomy to increase the completeness of surgery.

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Recurrent Colorectal Liver Metastases in the Liver Remnant After Major Liver Surgery—IRE as a Salvage Local Treatment When Resection and Thermal Ablation are Unsuitable

CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology ◽

10.1007/s00270-021-02981-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lea Hitpass ◽

Martina Distelmaier ◽

Ulf P. Neumann ◽

Wenzel Schöning ◽

Peter Isfort ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Metastases ◽

Tumor Progression ◽

Thermal Ablation ◽

Colorectal Liver Metastases ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Major Hepatectomy ◽

Local Tumor ◽

Ct Guided ◽

Cox Regression Analysis

Abstract Purpose To examine the safety and short-term oncologic outcomes of computer-tomography-guided (CT-guided) irreversible electroporation (IRE) of recurrent, irresectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) after major hepatectomy deemed unsuitable for thermal ablation. Patients and Methods Twenty-three patients undergoing CT-guided IRE of recurrent CRLM after major hepatectomy were included in this study. All tumors were located adjacent to sole remaining intrahepatic blood vessels and bile ducts, precluding thermal ablation. Patients underwent systematic clinical and imaging follow-up, including magnetic resonance imaging of the liver at 1-month and 3-month intervals thereafter. Time to local and intrahepatic tumor progression within 12 and 36 months and associated risk factors were assessed using Kaplan Meier and Cox regression analysis, respectively. Results Complete ablation with a safety margin of at least 0.5 cm was achieved in 22/23 (95.6%) patients. No vessel injury or thrombosis occurred. Five patients developed moderate biliary stenosis after a median of 4 weeks, without requiring treatment. Local tumor-progression-free rates within 12/36 months were 64%/57.4%, respectively. Intrahepatic-progression-free rate within 12/36 months was 36.4%/19.5%, respectively. Five (23%) patients were tumor-free at the end of follow-up. Multivariate Cox regression analysis did not show any association between local tumor-progression-free rates and patient age, target tumor size, primary tumor side or synchronicity of liver metastases. Conclusion In this highly selected patient population with local recurrences of CRLM after major surgery, IRE was shown to be a safe salvage treatment option when thermal ablation is unsuitable.

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Colorectal Liver Metastases - Does the Number of Lesions Determine the Sensibility of Resection?

Swiss Surgery ◽

10.1024/1023-9332.6.1.6 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 6-10

Author(s):

Knoefel ◽

Brunken ◽

Neumann ◽

Gundlach ◽

Rogiers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Metastases ◽

Colorectal Liver Metastases ◽

Rank Test ◽

Log Rank Test ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Chirurgische Entfernung

Die komplette chirurgische Entfernung von Lebermetastasen bietet Patienten nach kolorektalem Karzinom die einzige kurative Chance. Es gibt jedoch eine, anscheinend unbegrenzte, Anzahl an Parametern, die die Prognose dieser Patienten bestimmen und damit den Sinn dieser Therapie vorhersagen können. Zu den am häufigsten diskutierten und am einfachsten zu bestimmenden Parametern gehört die Anzahl der Metastasen. Ziel dieser Studie war es daher die Wertigkeit dieses Parameters in der Literatur zu reflektieren und unsere eigenen Patientendaten zu evaluieren. Insgesamt konnte von 302 Patienten ein komplettes Follow-up erhoben werden. Die gebildeten Patientengruppen wurden mit Hilfe einer Kaplan Meier Analyse und konsekutivem log rank Test untersucht. Die Literatur wurde bis Dezember 1998 revidiert. Die Anzahl der Metastasen bestätigte sich als ein prognostisches Kriterium. Lagen drei oder mehr Metastasen vor, so war nicht nur die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer R0 Resektion deutlich geringer (17.8% versus 67.2%) sondern auch das Überleben der Patienten nach einer R0 Resektion tendenziell unwahrscheinlicher. Das 5-Jahres Überleben betrug bei > 2 Metastasen 9% bei > 2 Metastasen 36%. Das 10-Jahres Überleben beträgt bislang bei > 2 Metastasen 0% bei > 2 Metastasen 18% (p < 0.07). Die Anzahl der Metastasen spielt in der Prognose der Patienten mit kolorektalen Lebermetastasen eine Rolle. Selbst bei mehr als vier Metastasen ist jedoch gelegentlich eine R0 Resektion möglich. In diesen Fällen kann der Patient auch langfristig von einer Operation profitieren. Das wichtigere Kriterium einer onkologisch sinnvollen Resektabilität ist die Frage ob technisch und funktionell eine R0 Resektion durchführbar ist. Ist das der Fall, so sollte auch einem Patienten mit mehreren Metastasen die einzige kurative Chance einer Resektion nicht vorenthalten bleiben.

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Automatized Hepatic Tumor Volume Analysis of Neuroendocrine Liver Metastases by Gd-EOB MRI—A Deep-Learning Model to Support Multidisciplinary Cancer Conference Decision-Making

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13112726 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 2726

Author(s):

Uli Fehrenbach ◽

Siyi Xin ◽

Alexander Hartenstein ◽

Timo Alexander Auer ◽

Franziska Dräger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Metastases ◽

External Validation ◽

High Accuracy ◽

Hepatic Tumor ◽

Liver Malignancies ◽

Internal Validation ◽

Matthew’S Correlation Coefficient ◽

Therapy Success ◽

Neuroendocrine Liver Metastases

Background: Rapid quantification of liver metastasis for diagnosis and follow-up is an unmet medical need in patients with secondary liver malignancies. We present a 3D-quantification model of neuroendocrine liver metastases (NELM) using gadoxetic-acid (Gd-EOB)-enhanced MRI as a useful tool for multidisciplinary cancer conferences (MCC). Methods: Manual 3D-segmentations of NELM and livers (149 patients in 278 Gd-EOB MRI scans) were used to train a neural network (U-Net architecture). Clinical usefulness was evaluated in another 33 patients who were discussed in our MCC and received a Gd-EOB MRI both at baseline and follow-up examination (n = 66) over 12 months. Model measurements (NELM volume; hepatic tumor load (HTL)) with corresponding absolute (ΔabsNELM; ΔabsHTL) and relative changes (ΔrelNELM; ΔrelHTL) between baseline and follow-up were compared to MCC decisions (therapy success/failure). Results: Internal validation of the model’s accuracy showed a high overlap for NELM and livers (Matthew’s correlation coefficient (φ): 0.76/0.95, respectively) with higher φ in larger NELM volume (φ = 0.80 vs. 0.71; p = 0.003). External validation confirmed the high accuracy for NELM (φ = 0.86) and livers (φ = 0.96). MCC decisions were significantly differentiated by all response variables (ΔabsNELM; ΔabsHTL; ΔrelNELM; ΔrelHTL) (p < 0.001). ΔrelNELM and ΔrelHTL showed optimal discrimination between therapy success or failure (AUC: 1.000; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The model shows high accuracy in 3D-quantification of NELM and HTL in Gd-EOB-MRI. The model’s measurements correlated well with MCC’s evaluation of therapeutic response.

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