Analysis of KRAS Mutation Status Prediction Model for Colorectal Cancer Based on Medical Imaging

Abstract

This study retrospectively included some patients with colorectal cancer diagnosed by histopathology, to explore the feasibility of CT medical image texture analysis in predicting KRAS gene mutations in patients with colorectal cancer. Before any surgical procedure, all patients received an enhanced CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis, as well as genetic testing. To define patient groups, divide all patients into test and validation sets based on the order of patient enrollment. A radiologist took a look at the plain axial CT image of the tumor, as well as the portal vein CT image, at the corresponding level. The physician points the computer’s cursor to the relevant area in the image, and TexRAD software programs together texture parameters based on various spatial scale factors, also known as total mean, total variance, statistical entropy, overall total average, mean total, positive mean, skewness value, kurtosis value, and general skewness. Using the same method again two weeks later, the observer and another physician measured the image of each patient again to see if the method was consistent between observers. With regard to clinical information, the KRAS gene mutation group and the wild group of participants in the test set and validation set each had values for the texture parameter. In a study of patients with colorectal cancer, the results demonstrated that CT texture parameters were correlated with the presence of the KRAS gene mutation. The best CT prediction model includes the values of the medium texture image’s slope and the other CT fine texture image’s value of entropy, the medium texture image’s slope and kurtosis, and the medium texture image’s mean and the other CT fine texture image’s value of entropy. Regardless of the training set or the validation set, patients with and without KRAS gene mutations did not differ significantly in clinical characteristics. This method can be used to identify mutations in the KRAS gene in patients with colorectal cancer, making it practical to implement CT medical image texture analysis technology for that purpose.