PET-based radiomic feature based on the cross-combination method for predicting the mid-term efficacy and prognosis in high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aims to develop 7×7 machine-learning cross-combinatorial methods for selecting and classifying radiomic features used to construct Radiomics Score (RadScore) of predicting the mid-term efficacy and prognosis in high-risk patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).MethodsRetrospectively, we recruited 177 high-risk DLBCL patients from two medical centers between October 2012 and September 2022 and randomly divided them into a training cohort (n=123) and a validation cohort (n=54). We finally extracted 110 radiomic features along with SUVmax, MTV, and TLG from the baseline PET. The 49 features selection-classification pairs were used to obtain the optimal LASSO-LASSO model with 11 key radiomic features for RadScore. Logistic regression was employed to identify independent RadScore, clinical and PET factors. These models were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was conducted to assess the predictive power of the models. The prognostic power of RadScore was assessed using cox regression (COX) and Kaplan–Meier plots (KM).Results177 patients (mean age, 63 ± 13 years,129 men) were evaluated. Multivariate analyses showed that gender (OR,2.760; 95%CI:1.196,6.368); p=0.017), B symptoms (OR,4.065; 95%CI:1.837,8.955; p=0.001), SUVmax (OR,2.619; 95%CI:1.107,6.194; p=0.028), and RadScore (OR,7.167; 95%CI:2.815,18.248; p<0.001) independently contributed to the risk factors for predicting mid-term outcome. The AUC values of the combined models in the training and validation groups were 0.846 and 0.724 respectively, outperformed the clinical model (0.714;0.556), PET based model (0.664; 0.589), NCCN-IPI model (0.523;0.406) and IPI model (0.510;0.412) in predicting mid-term treatment outcome. DCA showed that the combined model incorporating RadScore, clinical risk factors, and PET metabolic metrics has optimal net clinical benefit. COX indicated that the high RadScore group had worse prognosis and survival in progression-free survival (PFS) (HR, 2.1737,95%CI: 1.2983, 3.6392) and overall survival (OS) (HR,2.1356,95%CI: 1.2561, 3.6309) compared to the low RadScore group. KM survival analysis also showed the same prognosis prediction as Cox results.ConclusionThe combined model incorporating RadScore, sex, B symptoms and SUVmax demonstrates a significant enhancement in predicting medium-term efficacy and prognosis in high-risk DLBCL patients. RadScore using 7×7 machine learning cross-combinatorial methods for selection and classification holds promise as a potential method for evaluating medium-term treatment outcome and prognosis in high-risk DLBCL patients.