Preoperative Pathological Grading of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Ultrasomics of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound

Rationale and objectives: To develop an ultrasomics model for preoperative pathological grading of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Material and methods: A total of 235 HCCs were retrospectively enrolled, including 65 high-grade and 170 low-grade HCCs. Representative images of four-phase CEUS were selected from the baseline sonography, arterial, portal venous, and delayed phase images. Tumor ultrasomics features were automatically extracted using Ultrasomics-Platform software. Models were built via the classifier support vector machine, including an ultrasomics model using the ultrasomics features, a clinical model using the clinical factors, and a combined model using them both. Model performances were tested in the independent validation cohort considering efficiency and clinical usefulness.

Results: A total of 1502 features were extracted from each image. After the reproducibility test and dimensionality reduction, 25 ultrasomics features and 3 clinical factors were selected to build the models. In the validation cohort, the combined model showed the best predictive power, with an area under the curve value of 0.785 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.662-0.909), compared to the ultrasomics model of 0.720 (95% CI 0.576-0.864) and the clinical model of 0.665 (95% CI 0.537-0.793). Decision curve analysis suggested that the combined model was clinically useful, with a corresponding net benefit of 0.760 compared to the other two models.

Conclusion: We presented an ultrasomics-clinical model based on multiphase CEUS imaging and clinical factors, which showed potential value for the preoperative discrimination of HCC pathological grades.