Multiparametric MRI radiomics nomogram for predicting lymph-vascular space invasion in early-stage cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a radiomics nomogram based on multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) to pre-operatively predict lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. METHODS: This retrospective study included 233 consecutive patients with Stage IB-IIB cervical cancer. According to the ratio of 2:1, 154 patients and 79 patients were randomly assigned to the primary and validation cohorts, respectively. Features with intraclass and interclass correlation coefficient (ICCs) greater than 0.75 were selected for radiomics features. The significant features for predicting LVSI were selected using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm based on the primary cohort. The rad-score for each patient was constructed via a linear combination of selected features that were weighted by their respective coefficients. The radiomics nomogram was developed using multivariable logistic regression analysis by incorporating the rad-score and clinical risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 19 radiomics features and 3 clinical risk factors were selected. The rad-score exhibited a good performance in discriminating LVSI with a C-index of 0.76 and 0.81 in the primary and validation cohorts, respectively. The radiomics nomogram also exhibited a good discriminating performance in two cohorts (C-index of 0.78 and 0.82). The calibration curve of the radiomics nomogram demonstrated no significant differences was found between prediction and observation outcomes for the probability of LVSI in two cohorts (p = 0.86 and 0.98, respectively). The decision curve analysis indicated that clinician and patients could benefit from the use of radiomics nomogram and rad-score. CONCLUSION: The nomogram and rad-score could be used conveniently and individually to predict LVSI in patients with early-stage cervical cancer and facilitate the treatment decision for clinician and patients. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: The nomogram could pre-operatively predict LVSI in early-stage cervical cancer.