Radiomics based Machine Learning Models for Classification of Prostate Cancer Grade Groups from Multi Parametric MRI Images.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the performance of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) radiomic feature-based machine learning (ML) models in classifying the Gleason grade group (GG) of prostate cancer.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, a total of 203 patients with histopathologically confirmed prostate cancer who underwent mpMRI before prostate biopsy were included. After manual segmentation, radiomic features (RFs) were extracted from T2-weighted, apparent diffusion coefficient, and high b-value diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWMRI). Patients were split into training sets and testing sets according to a ratio of 8:2. A pipeline considering combinations of two feature selection (FS) methods and six ML classifiers was developed and evaluated. The performance of models was assessed using the accuracy, sensitivity, precision, F1-measure, and the area under curve (AUC).

RESULTS

On high b-value DWMRI-derived features, a combination of FS method recursive feature elimination (RFE) and classifier random forest achieved the highest performance for classification of prostate cancer into five GGs, with 97.0% accuracy, 98.0% sensitivity, 98.0% precision, and 97.0% F1-measure. The method also achieved an average AUC for GG of 98%.

CONCLUSION

Preoperative mpMRI radiomic analysis based on ML, as a noninvasive approach, showed good performance for classification of prostate cancer into five GGs.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

Herein, radiomic models based on preoperative mpMRI and ML were developed to classify prostate cancer into 5 GGs. Our study provides evidence that analysis of quantitative RFs extracted from high b-value DWMRI images based on a combination of FS method RFE and classifier random forest can be applied for multiclass grading of prostate cancer with an accuracy of 97.0%.