Malignancy risk stratification for pulmonary nodules: comparing a deep learning approach to multiparametric statistical models in different disease groups
摘要
Incidentally detected pulmonary nodules present a challenge in clinical routine with demand for reliable support systems for risk classification. We aimed to evaluate the performance of the lung-cancer-prediction-convolutional-neural-network (LCP-CNN), a deep learning-based approach, in comparison to multiparametric statistical methods (Brock model and Lung-RADS®) for risk classification of nodules in cohorts with different risk profiles and underlying pulmonary diseases.
Materials and methodsRetrospective analysis was conducted on non-contrast and contrast-enhanced CT scans containing pulmonary nodules measuring 5–30 mm. Ground truth was defined by histology or follow-up stability. The final analysis was performed on 297 patients with 422 eligible nodules, of which 105 nodules were malignant. Classification performance of the LCP-CNN, Brock model, and Lung-RADS® was evaluated in terms of diagnostic accuracy measurements including ROC-analysis for different subcohorts (total, screening, emphysema, and interstitial lung disease).
ResultsLCP-CNN demonstrated superior performance compared to the Brock model in total and screening cohorts (AUC 0.92 (95% CI: 0.89–0.94) and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.89–0.96)). Superior sensitivity of LCP-CNN was demonstrated compared to the Brock model and Lung-RADS® in total, screening, and emphysema cohorts for a risk threshold of 5%. Superior sensitivity of LCP-CNN was also shown across all disease groups compared to the Brock model at a threshold of 65%, compared to Lung-RADS® sensitivity was better or equal. No significant differences in the performance of LCP-CNN were found between subcohorts.
ConclusionThis study offers further evidence of the potential to integrate deep learning-based decision support systems into pulmonary nodule classification workflows, irrespective of the individual patient risk profile and underlying pulmonary disease.
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