Deep learning radiomics of ultrasonography: Identifying the risk of axillary non-sentinel lymph node involvement in primary breast cancer.

BACKGROUND

Completion axillary lymph node dissection is overtreatment for patients with sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis in whom the metastatic risk of residual non-SLN (NSLN) is low. However, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network panel posits that none of the previous studies has successfully identified such subset patients. Here, we develop a multicentre deep learning radiomics of ultrasonography model (DLRU) to predict the risk of SLN and NSLN metastasis.

METHODS

In total, 937 eligible breast cancer patients with ultrasound images were enrolled from two hospitals as the training set (n = 542) and independent test set (n = 395) respectively. Using the images, we developed and validated a prediction model combined with deep learning radiomics and axillary ultrasound to sequentially identify the metastatic risk of SLN and NSLN, thereby, classifying patients to relevant axillary management groups.

FINDINGS

In the test set, the DLRU yields the best performance in identifying patients with metastatic disease in SLNs (sensitivity=98.4%, 95% CI 96.6-100) and NSLNs (sensitivity=98.4%, 95% CI 95.6-99.9). The DLRU also accurately stratifies patients without metastasis in SLN or NSLN into the corresponding low-risk (LR)-SLN and high-risk (HR)-SLN&LR-NSLN category with the negative predictive value of 97% (95% CI 94.2-100) and 91.7% (95% CI 88.8-97.9), respectively. Moreover, compared with the current clinical management, DLRU appropriately assigned 51% (39.6%/77.4%) of overtreated patients in the entire study cohort into the LR group, perhaps avoiding overtreatment.

INTERPRETATION

The performance of the DLRU indicates that it may offer a simple preoperative tool to promote personalized axillary management of breast cancer.

FUNDING

The National Nature Science Foundation of China; The National Outstanding Youth Science Fund Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China; The Scientific research project of Heilongjiang Health Committee; The Postgraduate Research &Practice Innovation Program of Harbin Medical University.