Quantitative Imaging Network

A special issue of Tomography (ISSN 2379-139X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2022) | Viewed by 43691

Special Issue Editors

Division of Neuroimaging Research, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA
Interests: brain cancer imaging; brain tumor; clinical utility of bioimaging techniques; neuroimaging research; biophysics
Department of Radiology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Interests: computer-aided diagnosis; neural networks; predictive models; image processing; medical imaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
The Quantitative Imaging Network, The Cancer Imaging Program NCI, Rockville, MD 20892-9739, USA
Interests: quantitative imaging; benchmarking; image-based biomarkers; cancer therapy response assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The National Cancer Institute’s Quantitative Imaging Network (QIN) promotes research, development and clinical validation of quantitative imaging tools and methods for the measurement and prediction of tumor response to therapies in clinical trial settings; ultimately, its overall goal is to facilitate clinical decision-making. Projects include the development and adaptation/implementation of quantitative imaging methods, imaging protocols, and software solutions/tools, and application of these methods in the context of the standards of care patient management and in clinical therapy trials.

Dr. Chad Quarles
Dr. Lubomir Hadjiiski
Dr. Robert J. Nordstrom
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Tomography is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Quantitative imaging
  • Cancer imaging
  • Cancer therapy response assessment
  • Benchmarking
  • Image-based biomarkers

Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2714 KiB  
Article
Effect of Inter-Reader Variability on Diffusion-Weighted MRI Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Measurements and Prediction of Pathologic Complete Response for Breast Cancer
by Nu N. Le, Wen Li, Natsuko Onishi, David C. Newitt, Jessica E. Gibbs, Lisa J. Wilmes, John Kornak, Savannah C. Partridge, Barbara LeStage, Elissa R. Price, Bonnie N. Joe, Laura J. Esserman and Nola M. Hylton
Tomography 2022, 8(3), 1208-1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8030099 - 22 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1730
Abstract
This study evaluated the inter-reader agreement of tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements performed on breast diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for assessing treatment response in a multi-center clinical trial of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for breast cancer. DWIs from 103 breast cancer patients (mean age: [...] Read more.
This study evaluated the inter-reader agreement of tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements performed on breast diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for assessing treatment response in a multi-center clinical trial of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for breast cancer. DWIs from 103 breast cancer patients (mean age: 46 ± 11 years) acquired at baseline and after 3 weeks of treatment were evaluated independently by two readers. Three types of tumor regions of interests (ROIs) were delineated: multiple-slice restricted, single-slice restricted and single-slice tumor ROIs. Compared to tumor ROIs, restricted ROIs were limited to low ADC areas of enhancing tumor only. We found excellent agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] ranged from 0.94 to 0.98) for mean ADC. Higher ICCs were observed in multiple-slice restricted ROIs (range: 0.97 to 0.98) than in other two ROI types (both in the range of 0.94 to 0.98). Among the three ROI types, the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were observed for mean ADC of multiple-slice restricted ROIs (0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52–0.79 and 0.67, 95% CI: 0.53–0.81 for Reader 1 and Reader 2, respectively). In conclusion, mean ADC values of multiple-slice restricted ROI showed excellent agreement and similar predictive performance for pathologic complete response between the two readers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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16 pages, 2617 KiB  
Article
Noise-Based Image Harmonization Significantly Increases Repeatability and Reproducibility of Radiomics Features in PET Images: A Phantom Study
by Harald Keller, Tina Shek, Brandon Driscoll, Yiwen Xu, Brian Nghiem, Sadek Nehmeh, Milan Grkovski, Charles Ross Schmidtlein, Mikalai Budzevich, Yoganand Balagurunathan, John J. Sunderland, Reinhard R. Beichel, Carlos Uribe, Ting-Yim Lee, Fiona Li, David A. Jaffray and Ivan Yeung
Tomography 2022, 8(2), 1113-1128; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8020091 - 13 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2145
Abstract
For multicenter clinical studies, characterizing the robustness of image-derived radiomics features is essential. Features calculated on PET images have been shown to be very sensitive to image noise. The purpose of this work was to investigate the efficacy of a relatively simple harmonization [...] Read more.
For multicenter clinical studies, characterizing the robustness of image-derived radiomics features is essential. Features calculated on PET images have been shown to be very sensitive to image noise. The purpose of this work was to investigate the efficacy of a relatively simple harmonization strategy on feature robustness and agreement. A purpose-built texture pattern phantom was scanned on 10 different PET scanners in 7 institutions with various different image acquisition and reconstruction protocols. An image harmonization technique based on equalizing a contrast-to-noise ratio was employed to generate a “harmonized” alongside a “standard” dataset for a reproducibility study. In addition, a repeatability study was performed with images from a single PET scanner of variable image noise, varying the binning time of the reconstruction. Feature agreement was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). In the repeatability study, 81/93 features had a lower ICC on the images with the highest image noise as compared to the images with the lowest image noise. Using the harmonized dataset significantly improved the feature agreement for five of the six investigated feature classes over the standard dataset. For three feature classes, high feature agreement corresponded with higher sensitivity to the different patterns, suggesting a way to select suitable features for predictive models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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19 pages, 6305 KiB  
Article
An Anthropomorphic Digital Reference Object (DRO) for Simulation and Analysis of Breast DCE MRI Techniques
by Leah Henze Bancroft, James Holmes, Ryan Bosca-Harasim, Jacob Johnson, Pingni Wang, Frank Korosec, Walter Block and Roberta Strigel
Tomography 2022, 8(2), 1005-1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8020081 - 02 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2102
Abstract
Advances in accelerated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) continue to push the bounds on achievable spatial and temporal resolution while maintaining a clinically acceptable image quality. Validation tools, including numerical simulations, are needed to characterize the repeatability and reproducibility of such methods for use [...] Read more.
Advances in accelerated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) continue to push the bounds on achievable spatial and temporal resolution while maintaining a clinically acceptable image quality. Validation tools, including numerical simulations, are needed to characterize the repeatability and reproducibility of such methods for use in quantitative imaging applications. We describe the development of a simulation framework for analyzing and optimizing accelerated MRI acquisition and reconstruction techniques used in dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) breast imaging. The simulation framework, in the form of a digital reference object (DRO), consists of four modules that control different aspects of the simulation, including the appearance and physiological behavior of the breast tissue as well as the MRI acquisition settings, to produce simulated k-space data for a DCE breast exam. The DRO design and functionality are described along with simulation examples provided to show potential applications of the DRO. The included simulation results demonstrate the ability of the DRO to simulate a variety of effects including the creation of simulated lesions, tissue enhancement modeled by the generalized kinetic model, T1-relaxation, fat signal precession and saturation, acquisition SNR, and changes in temporal resolution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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14 pages, 2521 KiB  
Article
Post-Processing Bias Field Inhomogeneity Correction for Assessing Background Parenchymal Enhancement on Breast MRI as a Quantitative Marker of Treatment Response
by Alex Anh-Tu Nguyen, Natsuko Onishi, Julia Carmona-Bozo, Wen Li, John Kornak, David C. Newitt and Nola M. Hylton
Tomography 2022, 8(2), 891-904; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8020072 - 22 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2308
Abstract
Background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) of breast fibroglandular tissue (FGT) in dynamic contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown an association with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with breast cancer. Fully automated segmentation of FGT for BPE calculation is a challenge [...] Read more.
Background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) of breast fibroglandular tissue (FGT) in dynamic contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown an association with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with breast cancer. Fully automated segmentation of FGT for BPE calculation is a challenge when image artifacts are present. Low spatial frequency intensity nonuniformity due to coil sensitivity variations is known as bias or inhomogeneity and can affect FGT segmentation and subsequent BPE measurement. In this study, we utilized the N4ITK algorithm for bias correction over a restricted bilateral breast volume and compared the contralateral FGT segmentations based on uncorrected and bias-corrected images in three MRI examinations at pre-treatment, early treatment and inter-regimen timepoints during NAC. A retrospective analysis of 2 cohorts was performed: one with 735 patients enrolled in the multi-center I-SPY 2 TRIAL and the sub-cohort of 340 patients meeting a high-quality benchmark for segmentation. Bias correction substantially increased the FGT segmentation quality for 6.3–8.0% of examinations, while it substantially decreased the quality for no examination. Our results showed improvement in segmentation quality and a small but statistically significant increase in the resulting BPE measurement after bias correction at all timepoints in both cohorts. Continuing studies are examining the effects on pCR prediction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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16 pages, 5217 KiB  
Article
Phantom Validation of a Conservation of Activity-Based Partial Volume Correction Method for Arterial Input Function in Dynamic PET Imaging
by Brandon Driscoll, Tina Shek, Douglass Vines, Alex Sun, David Jaffray and Ivan Yeung
Tomography 2022, 8(2), 842-857; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8020069 - 21 Mar 2022
Viewed by 4098
Abstract
Dynamic PET (dPET) imaging can be utilized to perform kinetic modelling of various physiologic processes, which are exploited by the constantly expanding range of targeted radiopharmaceuticals. To date, dPET remains primarily in the research realm due to a number of technical challenges, not [...] Read more.
Dynamic PET (dPET) imaging can be utilized to perform kinetic modelling of various physiologic processes, which are exploited by the constantly expanding range of targeted radiopharmaceuticals. To date, dPET remains primarily in the research realm due to a number of technical challenges, not least of which is addressing partial volume effects (PVE) in the input function. We propose a series of equations for the correction of PVE in the input function and present the results of a validation study, based on a purpose built phantom. 18F-dPET experiments were performed using the phantom on a set of flow tubes representing large arteries, such as the aorta (1” 2.54 cm ID), down to smaller vessels, such as the iliac arteries and veins (1/4” 0.635 cm ID). When applied to the dPET experimental images, the PVE correction equations were able to successfully correct the image-derived input functions by as much as 59 ± 35% in the presence of background, which resulted in image-derived area under the curve (AUC) values within 8 ± 9% of ground truth AUC. The peak heights were similarly well corrected to within 9 ± 10% of the scaled DCE-CT curves. The same equations were then successfully applied to correct patient input functions in the aorta and internal iliac artery/vein. These straightforward algorithms can be applied to dPET images from any PET-CT scanner to restore the input function back to a more clinically representative value, without the need for high-end Time of Flight systems or Point Spread Function correction algorithms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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9 pages, 1055 KiB  
Article
Basal Ganglia Iron Content Increases with Glioma Severity Using Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping: A Potential Biomarker of Tumor Severity
by Thomas P. Reith, Melissa A. Prah, Eun-Jung Choi, Jongho Lee, Robert Wujek, Mona Al-Gizawiy, Christopher R. Chitambar, Jennifer M. Connelly and Kathleen M. Schmainda
Tomography 2022, 8(2), 789-797; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8020065 - 15 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2505
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Gliomas have been found to alter iron metabolism and transport in ways that result in an expansion of their intracellular iron compartments to support aggressive tumor growth. This study used deep neural network trained quantitative susceptibility mapping to assess basal [...] Read more.
Background and Purpose: Gliomas have been found to alter iron metabolism and transport in ways that result in an expansion of their intracellular iron compartments to support aggressive tumor growth. This study used deep neural network trained quantitative susceptibility mapping to assess basal ganglia iron concentrations in glioma patients. Materials and Methods: Ninety-two patients with brain lesions were initially enrolled in this study and fifty-nine met the inclusion criteria. Susceptibility-weighted images were collected at 3.0 T and used to construct quantitative susceptibility maps via a deep neural network-based method. The regions of interest were manually drawn within basal ganglia structures and the mean voxel intensities were extracted and averaged across multiple slices. One-way ANCOVA tests were conducted to compare the susceptibility values of groups of patients based on tumor grade while controlling for age, sex, and tumor type. Results: The mean basal ganglia susceptibility for patients with grade IV tumors was higher than that for patients with grade II tumors (p = 0.00153) and was also higher for patients with grade III tumors compared to patients with grade II tumors (p = 0.020), after controlling for age, sex, and tumor type. Patient age influenced susceptibility values (p = 0.00356), while sex (p = 0.69) and tumor type (p = 0.11) did not. Conclusions: The basal ganglia iron content increased with glioma severity. Basal ganglia iron levels may thus be a useful biomarker in glioma prognosis and treatment, especially with regard to iron-based cancer therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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17 pages, 2147 KiB  
Article
Impact of Alternate b-Value Combinations and Metrics on the Predictive Performance and Repeatability of Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Breast Cancer Treatment: Results from the ECOG-ACRIN A6698 Trial
by Savannah C. Partridge, Jon Steingrimsson, David C. Newitt, Jessica E. Gibbs, Helga S. Marques, Patrick J. Bolan, Michael A. Boss, Thomas L. Chenevert, Mark A. Rosen and Nola M. Hylton
Tomography 2022, 8(2), 701-717; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8020058 - 04 Mar 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2208
Abstract
In diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI), choice of b-value influences apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values by probing different aspects of the tissue microenvironment. As a secondary analysis of the multicenter ECOG-ACRIN A6698 trial, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of [...] Read more.
In diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI), choice of b-value influences apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values by probing different aspects of the tissue microenvironment. As a secondary analysis of the multicenter ECOG-ACRIN A6698 trial, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of alternate b-value combinations on the performance and repeatability of tumor ADC as a predictive marker of breast cancer treatment response. The final analysis included 210 women who underwent standardized 4-b-value DW-MRI (b = 0/100/600/800 s/mm2) at multiple timepoints during neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment and a subset (n = 71) who underwent test–retest scans. Centralized tumor ADC and perfusion fraction (fp) measures were performed using variable b-value combinations. Prediction of pathologic complete response (pCR) based on the mid-treatment/12-week percent change in each metric was estimated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Repeatability was estimated by within-subject coefficient of variation (wCV). Results show that two-b-value ADC calculations provided non-inferior predictive value to four-b-value ADC calculations overall (AUCs = 0.60–0.61 versus AUC = 0.60) and for HR+/HER2− cancers where ADC was most predictive (AUCs = 0.75–0.78 versus AUC = 0.76), p < 0.05. Using two b-values (0/600 or 0/800 s/mm2) did not reduce ADC repeatability over the four-b-value calculation (wCVs = 4.9–5.2% versus 5.4%). The alternate metrics ADCfast (b ≤ 100 s/mm2), ADCslow (b ≥ 100 s/mm2), and fp did not improve predictive performance (AUCs = 0.54–0.60, p = 0.08–0.81), and ADCfast and fp demonstrated the lowest repeatability (wCVs = 6.71% and 12.4%, respectively). In conclusion, breast tumor ADC calculated using a simple two-b-value approach can provide comparable predictive value and repeatability to full four-b-value measurements as a marker of treatment response. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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13 pages, 8259 KiB  
Article
Final Report on Clinical Outcomes and Tumor Recurrence Patterns of a Pilot Study Assessing Efficacy of Belinostat (PXD-101) with Chemoradiation for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma
by Karen Xu, Karthik Ramesh, Vicki Huang, Saumya S. Gurbani, James Scott Cordova, Eduard Schreibmann, Brent D. Weinberg, Soma Sengupta, Alfredo D. Voloschin, Matthias Holdhoff, Peter B. Barker, Lawrence R. Kleinberg, Jeffrey J. Olson, Hui-Kuo G. Shu and Hyunsuk Shim
Tomography 2022, 8(2), 688-700; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8020057 - 03 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2800
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is highly aggressive and has a poor prognosis. Belinostat is a histone deacetylase inhibitor with blood–brain barrier permeability, anti-GBM activity, and the potential to enhance chemoradiation. The purpose of this clinical trial was to assess the efficacy of combining belinostat with [...] Read more.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is highly aggressive and has a poor prognosis. Belinostat is a histone deacetylase inhibitor with blood–brain barrier permeability, anti-GBM activity, and the potential to enhance chemoradiation. The purpose of this clinical trial was to assess the efficacy of combining belinostat with standard-of-care therapy. Thirteen patients were enrolled in each of control and belinostat cohorts. The belinostat cohort was given a belinostat regimen (500–750 mg/m2 1×/day × 5 days) every three weeks (weeks 0, 3, and 6 of RT). All patients received temozolomide and radiation therapy (RT). RT margins of 5–10 mm were added to generate clinical tumor volumes and 3 mm added to create planning target volumes. Median overall survival (OS) was 15.8 months for the control cohort and 18.5 months for the belinostat cohort (p = 0.53). The recurrence volumes (rGTVs) for the control cohort occurred in areas that received higher radiation doses than that in the belinostat cohort. For those belinostat patients who experienced out-of-field recurrence, tumors were detectable by spectroscopic MRI before RT. Recurrence analysis suggests better in-field control with belinostat. This study highlights the potential of belinostat as a synergistic therapeutic agent for GBM. It may be particularly beneficial to combine this radio-sensitizing effect with spectroscopic MRI-guided RT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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13 pages, 1906 KiB  
Article
Computerized Decision Support for Bladder Cancer Treatment Response Assessment in CT Urography: Effect on Diagnostic Accuracy in Multi-Institution Multi-Specialty Study
by Di Sun, Lubomir Hadjiiski, Ajjai Alva, Yousef Zakharia, Monika Joshi, Heang-Ping Chan, Rohan Garje, Lauren Pomerantz, Dean Elhag, Richard H. Cohan, Elaine M. Caoili, Wesley T. Kerr, Kenny H. Cha, Galina Kirova-Nedyalkova, Matthew S. Davenport, Prasad R. Shankar, Isaac R. Francis, Kimberly Shampain, Nathaniel Meyer, Daniel Barkmeier, Sean Woolen, Phillip L. Palmbos, Alon Z. Weizer, Ravi K. Samala, Chuan Zhou and Martha Matuszakadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Tomography 2022, 8(2), 644-656; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8020054 - 02 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5165
Abstract
This observer study investigates the effect of computerized artificial intelligence (AI)-based decision support system (CDSS-T) on physicians’ diagnostic accuracy in assessing bladder cancer treatment response. The performance of 17 observers was evaluated when assessing bladder cancer treatment response without and with CDSS-T using [...] Read more.
This observer study investigates the effect of computerized artificial intelligence (AI)-based decision support system (CDSS-T) on physicians’ diagnostic accuracy in assessing bladder cancer treatment response. The performance of 17 observers was evaluated when assessing bladder cancer treatment response without and with CDSS-T using pre- and post-chemotherapy CTU scans in 123 patients having 157 pre- and post-treatment cancer pairs. The impact of cancer case difficulty, observers’ clinical experience, institution affiliation, specialty, and the assessment times on the observers’ diagnostic performance with and without using CDSS-T were analyzed. It was found that the average performance of the 17 observers was significantly improved (p = 0.002) when aided by the CDSS-T. The cancer case difficulty, institution affiliation, specialty, and the assessment times influenced the observers’ performance without CDSS-T. The AI-based decision support system has the potential to improve the diagnostic accuracy in assessing bladder cancer treatment response and result in more consistent performance among all physicians. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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9 pages, 1885 KiB  
Article
Diffusion Restriction Comparison between Gleason 4 Fused Glands and Cribriform Glands within Patient Using Whole-Mount Prostate Pathology as Ground Truth
by Savannah R. Duenweg, Xi Fang, Samuel A. Bobholz, Allison K. Lowman, Michael Brehler, Fitzgerald Kyereme, Kenneth A. Iczkowski, Kenneth M. Jacobsohn, Anjishnu Banerjee and Peter S. LaViolette
Tomography 2022, 8(2), 635-643; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8020053 - 02 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2107
Abstract
The presence and extent of cribriform patterned Gleason 4 (G4) glands are associated with poor prognosis following radical prostatectomy. This study used whole-mount prostate histology and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) to evaluate diffusion differences in G4 gland morphology. Fourty-eight patients underwent MP-MRI [...] Read more.
The presence and extent of cribriform patterned Gleason 4 (G4) glands are associated with poor prognosis following radical prostatectomy. This study used whole-mount prostate histology and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) to evaluate diffusion differences in G4 gland morphology. Fourty-eight patients underwent MP-MRI prior to prostatectomy, of whom 22 patients had regions of both G4 cribriform glands and G4 fused glands (G4CG and G4FG, respectively). After surgery, the prostate was sliced using custom, patient-specific 3D-printed slicing jigs modeled according to the T2-weighted MR image, processed, and embedded in paraffin. Whole-mount hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides were annotated by our urologic pathologist and digitally contoured to differentiate the lumen, epithelium, and stroma. Digitized slides were co-registered to the T2-weighted MRI scan. Linear mixed models were fitted to the MP-MRI data to consider the different hierarchical structures at the patient and slide level. We found that Gleason 4 cribriform glands were more diffusion-restricted than fused glands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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16 pages, 3780 KiB  
Article
Integrating the OHIF Viewer into XNAT: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects for Quantitative Imaging Studies
by Simon J. Doran, Mohammad Al Sa’d, James A. Petts, James Darcy, Kate Alpert, Woonchan Cho, Lorena Escudero Sanchez, Sachidanand Alle, Ahmed El Harouni, Brad Genereaux, Erik Ziegler, Gordon J. Harris, Eric O. Aboagye, Evis Sala, Dow-Mu Koh and Dan Marcus
Tomography 2022, 8(1), 497-512; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8010040 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 7021
Abstract
Purpose: XNAT is an informatics software platform to support imaging research, particularly in the context of large, multicentre studies of the type that are essential to validate quantitative imaging biomarkers. XNAT provides import, archiving, processing and secure distribution facilities for image and [...] Read more.
Purpose: XNAT is an informatics software platform to support imaging research, particularly in the context of large, multicentre studies of the type that are essential to validate quantitative imaging biomarkers. XNAT provides import, archiving, processing and secure distribution facilities for image and related study data. Until recently, however, modern data visualisation and annotation tools were lacking on the XNAT platform. We describe the background to, and implementation of, an integration of the Open Health Imaging Foundation (OHIF) Viewer into the XNAT environment. We explain the challenges overcome and discuss future prospects for quantitative imaging studies. Materials and methods: The OHIF Viewer adopts an approach based on the DICOM web protocol. To allow operation in an XNAT environment, a data-routing methodology was developed to overcome the mismatch between the DICOM and XNAT information models and a custom viewer panel created to allow navigation within the viewer between different XNAT projects, subjects and imaging sessions. Modifications to the development environment were made to allow developers to test new code more easily against a live XNAT instance. Major new developments focused on the creation and storage of regions-of-interest (ROIs) and included: ROI creation and editing tools for both contour- and mask-based regions; a “smart CT” paintbrush tool; the integration of NVIDIA’s Artificial Intelligence Assisted Annotation (AIAA); the ability to view surface meshes, fractional segmentation maps and image overlays; and a rapid image reader tool aimed at radiologists. We have incorporated the OHIF microscopy extension and, in parallel, introduced support for microscopy session types within XNAT for the first time. Results: Integration of the OHIF Viewer within XNAT has been highly successful and numerous additional and enhanced tools have been created in a programme started in 2017 that is still ongoing. The software has been downloaded more than 3700 times during the course of the development work reported here, demonstrating the impact of the work. Conclusions: The OHIF open-source, zero-footprint web viewer has been incorporated into the XNAT platform and is now used at many institutions worldwide. Further innovations are envisaged in the near future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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12 pages, 1917 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Stability of Gradient Characteristics Warrants Model-Based Correction of Diffusion Weighting Bias
by Yuxi Pang, Dariya I. Malyarenko, Lisa J. Wilmes, Ajit Devaraj, Ek T. Tan, Luca Marinelli, Axel vom Endt, Johannes Peeters, Michael A. Jacobs, David C. Newitt and Thomas L. Chenevert
Tomography 2022, 8(1), 364-375; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8010030 - 04 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1912
Abstract
The study aims to test the long-term stability of gradient characteristics for model-based correction of diffusion weighting (DW) bias in an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for multisite imaging trials. Single spin echo (SSE) DWI of a long-tube ice-water phantom was acquired quarterly on [...] Read more.
The study aims to test the long-term stability of gradient characteristics for model-based correction of diffusion weighting (DW) bias in an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for multisite imaging trials. Single spin echo (SSE) DWI of a long-tube ice-water phantom was acquired quarterly on six MR scanners over two years for individual diffusion gradient channels, along with B0 mapping, as a function of right-left (RL) and superior-inferior (SI) offsets from the isocenter. Additional double spin-echo (DSE) DWI was performed on two systems. The offset dependences of derived ADC were fit to 4th-order polynomials. Chronic shim gradients were measured from spatial derivatives of B0 maps along the tube direction. Gradient nonlinearity (GNL) was modeled using vendor-provided gradient field descriptions. Deviations were quantified by root-mean-square differences (RMSD), normalized to reference ice-water ADC, between the model and reference (RMSDREF), measurement and model (RMSDEXP), and temporal measurement variations (RMSDTMP). Average RMSDREF was 4.9 ± 3.2 (%RL) and –14.8 ± 3.8 (%SI), and threefold larger than RMSDEXP. RMSDTMP was close to measurement errors (~3%). GNL-induced bias across gradient systems varied up to 20%, while deviation from the model accounted at most for 6.5%, and temporal variation for less than 3% of ADC reproducibility error. Higher SSE RMSDEXP = 7.5–11% was reduced to 2.5–4.8% by DSE, consistent with the eddy current origin. Measured chronic shim gradients below 0.1 mT/m had a minor contribution to ADC bias. The demonstrated long-term stability of spatial ADC profiles and consistency with system GNL models justifies retrospective and prospective DW bias correction based on system gradient design models. Residual errors due to eddy currents and shim gradients should be corrected independent of GNL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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15 pages, 1989 KiB  
Article
AI-Radiomics Can Improve Inclusion Criteria and Clinical Trial Performance
by Michal R. Tomaszewski, Shuxuan Fan, Alberto Garcia, Jin Qi, Youngchul Kim, Robert A. Gatenby, Matthew B. Schabath, William D. Tap, Denise K. Reinke, Rikesh J. Makanji, Damon R. Reed and Robert J. Gillies
Tomography 2022, 8(1), 341-355; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography8010028 - 02 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3188
Abstract
Purpose: Success of clinical trials increasingly relies on effective selection of the target patient populations. We hypothesize that computational analysis of pre-accrual imaging data can be used for patient enrichment to better identify patients who can potentially benefit from investigational agents. Methods: This [...] Read more.
Purpose: Success of clinical trials increasingly relies on effective selection of the target patient populations. We hypothesize that computational analysis of pre-accrual imaging data can be used for patient enrichment to better identify patients who can potentially benefit from investigational agents. Methods: This was tested retrospectively in soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) patients accrued into a randomized clinical trial (SARC021) that evaluated the efficacy of evofosfamide (Evo), a hypoxia activated prodrug, in combination with doxorubicin (Dox). Notably, SARC021 failed to meet its overall survival (OS) objective. We tested whether a radiomic biomarker-driven inclusion/exclusion criterion could have been used to improve the difference between the two arms (Evo + Dox vs. Dox) of the study. 164 radiomics features were extracted from 296 SARC021 patients with lung metastases, divided into training and test sets. Results: A single radiomics feature, Short Run Emphasis (SRE), was representative of a group of correlated features that were the most informative. The SRE feature value was combined into a model along with histological classification and smoking history. This model as able to identify an enriched subset (52%) of patients who had a significantly longer OS in Evo + Dox vs. Dox groups [p = 0.036, Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.64 (0.42–0.97)]. Applying the same model and threshold value in an independent test set confirmed the significant survival difference [p = 0.016, HR = 0.42 (0.20–0.85)]. Notably, this model was best at identifying exclusion criteria for patients most likely to benefit from doxorubicin alone. Conclusions: The study presents a first of its kind clinical-radiomic approach for patient enrichment in clinical trials. We show that, had an appropriate model been used for selective patient inclusion, SARC021 trial could have met its primary survival objective for patients with metastatic STS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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Article
Convolutional Neural Network Addresses the Confounding Impact of CT Reconstruction Kernels on Radiomics Studies
by Jin H. Yoon, Shawn H. Sun, Manjun Xiao, Hao Yang, Lin Lu, Yajun Li, Lawrence H. Schwartz and Binsheng Zhao
Tomography 2021, 7(4), 877-892; https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography7040074 - 03 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2557
Abstract
Achieving high feature reproducibility while preserving biological information is one of the main challenges for the generalizability of current radiomics studies. Non-clinical imaging variables, such as reconstruction kernels, have shown to significantly impact radiomics features. In this study, we retrain an open-source convolutional [...] Read more.
Achieving high feature reproducibility while preserving biological information is one of the main challenges for the generalizability of current radiomics studies. Non-clinical imaging variables, such as reconstruction kernels, have shown to significantly impact radiomics features. In this study, we retrain an open-source convolutional neural network (CNN) to harmonize computerized tomography (CT) images with various reconstruction kernels to improve feature reproducibility and radiomic model performance using epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation prediction in lung cancer as a paradigm. In the training phase, the CNN was retrained and tested on 32 lung cancer patients’ CT images between two different groups of reconstruction kernels (smooth and sharp). In the validation phase, the retrained CNN was validated on an external cohort of 223 lung cancer patients’ CT images acquired using different CT scanners and kernels. The results showed that the retrained CNN could be successfully applied to external datasets with different CT scanner parameters, and harmonization of reconstruction kernels from sharp to smooth could significantly improve the performance of radiomics model in predicting EGFR mutation status in lung cancer. In conclusion, the CNN based method showed great potential in improving feature reproducibility and generalizability by harmonizing medical images with heterogeneous reconstruction kernels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Imaging Network)
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