To evaluate a biparametric MRI (bpMRI)-based artificial intelligence (AI) model for the detection of local prostate cancer (PCa) recurrence in patients with radiotherapy history.
This study included post-radiotherapy patients undergoing multiparametric MRI and subsequent MRI/US fusion-guided and/or systematic biopsy. Histopathology results were used as ground truth. The recurrent cancer detection sensitivity of a bpMRI-based AI model, which was developed on a large dataset to primarily identify lesions in treatment-naïve patients, was compared to a prospective radiologist assessment using the Wald test. Subanalysis was conducted on patients stratified by the treatment modality (external beam radiation treatment [EBRT] and brachytherapy) and the prostate volume quartiles.
Of the 62 patients included (median age = 70 years; median PSA = 3.51 ng/ml; median prostate volume = 27.55 ml), 56 recurrent PCa foci were identified within 46 patients. The AI model detected 40 lesions in 35 patients. The AI model performance was lower than the prospective radiology interpretation (Rad) on a patient-(AI: 76.1% vs. Rad: 91.3%, p = 0.02) and lesion-level (AI: 71.4% vs. Rad: 87.5%, p = 0.01). The mean number of false positives per patient was 0.35 (range: 0-2). The AI model performance was higher in EBRT group both on patient-level (EBRT: 81.5% [22/27] vs. brachytherapy: 68.4% [13/19]) and lesion-level (EBRT: 79.4% [27/34] vs. brachytherapy: 59.1% [13/22]). In patients with gland volumes >34 ml (n = 25), detection sensitivities were 100% (11/11) and 94.1% (16/17) on patient- and lesion-level, respectively.
The reported bpMRI-based AI model detected the majority of locally recurrent prostate cancer after radiotherapy. Further testing including external validation of this model is warranted prior to clinical implementation.
European journal of radiology. 2023 Sep 13 [Epub ahead of print]
Enis C Yilmaz, Stephanie A Harmon, Mason J Belue, Katie M Merriman, Tim E Phelps, Yue Lin, Charisse Garcia, Lindsey Hazen, Krishnan R Patel, Maria J Merino, Bradford J Wood, Peter L Choyke, Peter A Pinto, Deborah E Citrin, Baris Turkbey
Molecular Imaging Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States., Center for Interventional Oncology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Department of Radiology, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States., Radiation Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States., Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States., Urologic Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States., Molecular Imaging Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Molecular Imaging Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr., MSC 1182, Building 10, Room B3B85, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: .