Additional value of MRI-detected EMVI scoring system in rectal cancer: applicability in predicting synchronous metastasis

Extramural venous invasion in gastric cancer: 9.4T magnetic resonance imaging assessment and circular RNA functional analysis

BACKGROUND

Extramural venous invasion (EMVI) is a critical prognostic factor in gastric cancer (GC); however, its detection and underlying molecular mechanisms remain underexplored.

AIM

To investigate the relationship between EMVI and expression of the circular RNA hsa_circ_0097977 in orthotopic GC mouse models.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted in addition to a preclinical animal study, involving 13 GC patients and 24 orthotopic GC mouse models, respectively. EMVI was assessed using axial T2-weighted fat suppression sequences on a 9.4T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with histopathological confirmation as the gold standard for EMVI. The impact of hsa_circ_0097977 on EMVI and GC cell function was evaluated. Statistical analyses comprised consistency, area under the curve analysis, correlation, χ 2/Fisher exact, and Mann-Whitney U/t-tests, with significance set at P < 0.05.

RESULTS

EMVI was accurately detected using 9.4T MRI in orthotopic mouse models with an area under the curve of 0.843 (sensitivity 78.6%, specificity 90.0%). MRI detected EMVI was the only imaging factor associated with distant metastasis (P = 0.04). Furthermore, knockdown of hsa_circ_0097977 was the only factor associated with EMVI (P = 0.043, 0.038) and led to reduced invasion and increased apoptosis in GC cells.

CONCLUSION

EMVI, a risk factor for distant metastasis in GC, is detectable by 9.4T MRI and regulated by hsa_circ_0097977, making it a potential therapeutic target.

The Role of Predictive and Prognostic MRI-Based Biomarkers in the Era of Total Neoadjuvant Treatment in Rectal Cancer

The role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in rectal cancer management has significantly increased over the last decade, in line with more personalized treatment approaches. Total neoadjuvant treatment (TNT) plays a pivotal role in the shift from traditional surgical approach to non-surgical approaches such as 'watch-and-wait'. MRI plays a central role in this evolving landscape, providing essential morphological and functional data that support clinical decision-making. Key MRI-based biomarkers, including circumferential resection margin (CRM), extramural venous invasion (EMVI), tumour deposits, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and MRI tumour regression grade (mrTRG), have proven valuable for staging, response assessment, and patient prognosis. Functional imaging techniques, such as dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI), alongside emerging biomarkers derived from radiomics and artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to transform rectal cancer management offering data that enhance T and N staging, histopathological characterization, prediction of treatment response, recurrence detection, and identification of genomic features. This review outlines validated morphological and functional MRI-derived biomarkers with both prognostic and predictive significance, while also exploring the potential of radiomics and artificial intelligence in rectal cancer management. Furthermore, we discuss the role of rectal MRI in the 'watch-and-wait' approach, highlighting important practical aspects in selecting patients for non-surgical management.

Comparative analysis of preoperative chemoradiotherapy and upfront surgery in the treatment of upper-half rectal cancer: oncological benefits, surgical outcomes, and cost implications

The value of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is not absolutely clear for upper-half (> 7-15 cm) rectal cancer. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of radical surgery with preoperative CRT vs. upfront surgery (US) in Chinese patients with stage II and III upper-half rectal cancer. A total of 809 patients with locally advanced upper-half rectal cancer between 2017 and 2021 were enrolled retrospectively (280 treated with CRT and 529 treated with US). Through 1:1 propensity score matching, the CRT (172 patients) and US (172 patients) groups were compared for short-term postoperative results and long-term oncological and functional outcomes. In the entire cohort, patients in the CRT group had a younger age, lower distance from the anal verge (DAV), and higher rates of cT4 stage, cN2 stage, mrCRM positivity, EMVI positivity, CEA elevation, and CA-199 elevation than those in the US group. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was lower in the CRT group than in the US group (76% vs. 84%, p = 0.022), while the 5-year overall survival (OS) was comparable between the two groups (85% and 88%, p = 0.084). The distant metastasis rate was higher in the CRT group than in the US group (12.5% vs. 7.8%, p = 0.028), though the local recurrence rate was similar between the two groups (1.1% and 1.3%, p = 1.000). After performing PSM, the 5-year OS (86% vs. 88% p = 0.312), the 5-year DFS (79% vs. 80%, p = 0.435), the local recurrence rate (1.2% vs. 1.7%, p = 1.000), and the distant metastasis rate (11.0% vs. 9.3%, p = 0.593) were comparable between the two groups. Notable pathological downstaging was observed in the CRT group, with a pathological complete response (PCR) rate of 14.5%. In addition, patients in the CRT group had a lower proportion of pT3 (61.6% vs. 77.9%, p < 0.001), pN + (pN1, 15.1% vs. 30.2%, pN2, 9.3% vs. 20.3%, p < 0.001), stage III (24.4% vs. 50.6%, p < 0.001), perineural invasion (19.8% vs. 32.0%, p = 0.014), and lymphovascular invasion (9.3% vs. 25.6%, p < 0.001) than those in the US group. Postoperative complications and long-term functional results were similar, yet there was a trend toward a higher conversion to laparotomy rate (5 (2.9%) vs. 0 (0.0%), p = 0.061) and higher rates of robotic surgery (11.6% vs. 4.7%, p < 0.001), open surgery (7.0% vs. 0.6%, p < 0.001), diverting stoma (47.1% vs. 25.6%, p < 0.001), and surgery costs (1473.6 ± 106.5 vs. 1140.3 ± 54.3$, p = 0.006) in the CRT group. In addition, EMVI (OR = 2.516, p = 0.001) was the only independent risk factor associated with poor response to CRT, and in subgroup analysis of EMVI + , CRT group patients presented a lower 5-year DFS (72.9% vs. 80.5%, p = 0.025) compared to US group patients. CRT prior to surgery has no additional oncological benefits over US in the treatment of upper-half rectal cancer. In contrast, CRT is associated with increased rates of conversion to laparotomy, stoma creation and higher surgery costs. Surgeons tend to favor robotic surgery in the treatment of complex cases such as radiated upper-half rectal cancers. Notably, EMVI + patients with upper-half rectal cancer should be encouraged to undergo upfront surgery, as preoperative CRT may not provide benefits and may lead to delayed treatment effects.

Risk Factors for Distant Metastasis in T3 T4 Rectal Cancer

Background

Distant metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with rectal cancer. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the risk factors of distant metastasis in T3 T4 rectal cancer using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), pathological features, and serum indicators.

Methods

The clinicopathological data of 146 cases of T3 T4 rectal cancer after radical resection from January 2015 to March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Pre- and postoperative follow-up data of all cases were collected to screen for distant metastatic lesions. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression methods were used to analyze the relationship between MRI features, pathological results, serum test indexes, and distant metastasis.

Results

Of the 146 included patients, synchronous or metachronous distance metastasis was confirmed in 43 (29.4%) cases. The patients' baseline data and univariate analysis showed that mrEMVI, maximum tumor diameter, mr T Stage, pathological N stage, number of lymph node metastasis, cancer nodules, preoperative serum CEA, (Carcinoembryonic antigen) and CA199 were associated with distant metastasis. In the multiple logistic regression model, mrEMVI, pathological N stage, number of lymph node metastasis, maximum tumor diameter, and preoperative serum CEA were identified as independent risk factors for distant metastasis: mrEMVI [odds ratio (OR) = 3.06], pathological N stage (OR = 6.52 for N1 vs N0; OR = 63.47 for N2 vs N0), preoperative serum CEA (OR = 0.27), tumor maximum diameter (OR = 1.03), number of lymph nodes metastasis (OR = 0.62). And, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted and the area under the curve was calculated (area under the curve [AUC) = 0.817, 95% CI = 0.744-0.890, P < .001].

Conclusions

mrEMVI, pathological N stage, number of lymph node metastasis, maximum tumor diameter and preoperative serum CEA are the independent risk factors for distant metastasis in T3 T4 rectal cancer. A comprehensive analysis of the risk factors for distant metastasis in rectal cancer can provide a reliable basis for formulating individualized treatment strategies, follow-up plans, and evaluating prognosis.

Extramural vascular invasion nomogram before radical resection of rectal cancer based on magnetic resonance imaging

Purpose

This study verified the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to construct a nomogram to preoperatively predict extramural vascular invasion (EMVI) in rectal cancer using MRI characteristics.

Materials and methods

There were 55 rectal cancer patients with EMVI and 49 without EMVI in the internal training group. The external validation group consisted of 54 rectal cancer patients with EMVI and 55 without EMVI. High-resolution rectal T2WI, pelvic diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences, and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) were used. We collected the following data: distance between the lower tumor margin and the anal margin, distance between the lower tumor margin and the anorectal ring, tumor proportion of intestinal wall, mrT stage, maximum tumor diameter, circumferential resection margin, superior rectal vein width, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), T2WI EMVI score, DWI and DCE-MRI EMVI scores, demographic information, and preoperative serum tumor marker data. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors of EMVI. A nomogram prediction model was constructed. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis verified the predictive ability of the nomogram. P &lt; 0.05 was considered significant.

Result

Tumor proportion of intestinal wall, superior rectal vein width, T2WI EMVI score, and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 were significant independent predictors of EMVI in rectal cancer and were used to create the model. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivities, and specificities of the nomogram were 0.746, 65.45%, and 83.67% for the internal training group, respectively, and 0.780, 77.1%, and 71.3% for the external validation group, respectively.

Data conclusion

A nomogram including MRI characteristics can predict EMVI in rectal cancer preoperatively and provides a valuable reference to formulate individualized treatment plans and predict prognosis.

Toxicity, Disease Control, and Survival Outcomes of Intensified Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Single-Institution Study

Purpose

The standard treatment regimen of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to analyze the efficacy and safety of preoperative intensive CRT in our institution.

Methods

A retrospective data collection and analysis of 181 LARC patients receiving oxaliplatin (85%) of standard doses in capecitabine-based preoperative CRT and two additional cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy between the end of concurrent CRT and surgery.

Results

The compliance of the preoperative CRT was satisfactory with 99.4%patients completed radiotherapy and 97.19%patients completed all 2 cycles of concurrent chemotherapy. Except for 20 patients diagnosed clinical complete remission (cCR) managed according to watch and wait strategy, 160 patients received R0 radical surgery. The pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 23.75% (38/160) and tumor regression grade (TRG) 0/1 was 40% (72/180). In terms of tumor downstaging, 89 (55.63%) had T downstaging while 115 (71.88%) had N downstaging. The 1-overall survival (OS),2-OS,3-OS and 5-OS were 98.7%, 96.5%, 91.4% and 81.5%, respectively. The total rate of sphincter preservation was 86.25% (138/160) and the rate of patients with low rectal cancer was 73.0% (54/74) without affecting local control rates and survival rates. Both acute adverse reactions to preoperative CRT and postoperative complications were tolerable and controllable.

Conclusion

In this retrospective study, preoperative intensive CRT of patients with LARC achieved satisfied disease control and survival outcomes and well acquired the sphincter retention rate in recent years in our institution. On the basis of these findings, a Phase III study to definitively test the intensified preoperative CRT strategy is warranted.

Association between extramural vascular invasion and iodine quantification using dual-energy computed tomography of rectal cancer: a preliminary study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate whether histopathological confirmed extramural vascular invasion (EMVI) is associated with quantitative parameters derived from dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) of rectal cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients with rectal cancer who underwent rectal cancer surgery and DECT (including arterial-, venous-, and delay-phase scanning) between November 2019 and November 2020. The EMVI of rectal cancer was confirmed via postoperative pathological results. Iodine concentration (IC), IC normalized to the aorta (NIC), and CT attenuation values of the three phases were measured and compared between patients with and without EMVI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to determine the diagnostic performance of these DECT quantitative parameters.

RESULTS

Herein, 36 patients (22 men and 14 women) with a mean age of 62 [range, 43-77] years) with (n = 13) and without (n = 23) EMVI were included. Patients with EMVI exhibited significantly higher IC in the venous and delay phases (venous-phase: 2.92 ± 0.6 vs 2.34 ± 0.48; delay-phase: 2.46 ± 0.47 vs 1.88 ± 0.35) and NIC in all the three phases (arterial-phase: 0.31 ± 0.12 vs 0.24 ± 0.06; venous-phase: 0.58 ± 0.11 vs 0.41 ± 0.07; delay-phase: 0.68 ± 0.10 vs 0.46 ± 0.08) than patients without EMVI. Among them, the highest area under the ROC curve (AUC) was obtained in the delay-phase NIC (AUC = 0.983). IC in the arterial-phase and CT attenuation in all the three phases did not significantly differ between patients with and without EMVI (p = 0.205-0.869).

CONCLUSION

Iodine quantification using dual-energy CT, especially the NIC of the tumor, differs between the EMVI-positive and EMVI-negative groups and seems to help predict the EMVI of rectal cancer in this preliminary study; however, a larger sample size study is warranted in the future.

Preoperative prediction of extramural venous invasion in rectal cancer by dynamic contrast-enhanced and diffusion weighted MRI: a preliminary study

Background

To explore the value of the quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) parameters in assessing preoperative extramural venous invasion (EMVI) in rectal cancer.

Methods

Eighty-two rectal adenocarcinoma patients who had underwent MRI preoperatively were enrolled in this study. The differences in quantitative DCE-MRI and DWI parameters including Krans, Kep and ADC values were analyzed between MR-detected EMVI (mrEMVI)-positive and -negative groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to build the combined prediction model for pathologic EMVI (pEMVI) with statistically significant quantitative parameters. The performance of the model for predicting pEMVI was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

Of the 82 patients, 24 were mrEMVI-positive and 58 were -negative. In the mrEMVI positive group, the Ktrans and Kep values were significantly higher than those in the mrEMVI negative group (P < 0.01), but the ADC values were significantly lower (P < 0.01). A negative correlation was observed between the Ktrans vs ADC values and Kep vs ADC values in patients with rectal cancer. Among the four quantitative parameters, Ktrans and ADC value were independently associated with mrEMVI by multivariate logistic regression analysis. ROC analysis showed that combined prediction model based on quantitative DCE parameters and ADC values had a good prediction efficiency for pEMVI in rectal cancer.

Conclusion

The quantitative DCE-MRI parameters, Krans, Kep and ADC values play important role in predicting EMVI of rectal cancer, with Ktrans and ADC value being independent predictors of EMVI in rectal cancer.

Comparative study of radiomics, tumor morphology, and clinicopathological factors in predicting overall survival of patients with rectal cancer before surgery

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Radiomics analysis of pretreatment MR images could predict overall survival (OS) in patients.

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Clinical, pathological and MRI imaging indexes were included and models were established. Tumor morphological model, clinicopathological model, radiomics model and comprehensive model were used to evaluate the prognosis of patients with rectal cancer. It can explore the influence of the above factors on the prognosis of rectal cancer from multi-level and multi-angle.

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The proposed radiomics nomogram showed better prognostic performance than the clinicopathological and imaging model in risk stratification and can classify patients into high- and low-risk groups with significant differences in OS.

We compared the ability of a radiomics model, morphological imaging model, and clinicopathological risk model to predict 3-year overall survival (OS) in 206 patients with rectal cancer who underwent radical surgery and had magnetic resonance imaging, clinicopathological, and OS data available. The patients were randomized to a training cohort (n = 146) and a verification cohort (n = 60). Radiomics features were extracted from preoperative T2-weighted images, and a radiomics score model was constructed. Factors that were significant in the Cox multivariate analysis were used to construct the final morphological tumor model and clinicopathological model. A comprehensive model in the form of a line chart was established by combining the three models. Ten radiomics features significantly related to OS were selected to construct the radiomics feature model and calculate the radiomics score. In the morphological model, mesorectal extension depth and distance between the lower tumor margin and the anal margin were significant prognostic factors. N stage was the only significant clinicopathological factor. The comprehensive model combined with the above factors had the best prediction performance for OS. The C-index had a predictive performance of 0.872 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.832–0.912) in the training cohort and 0.944 (95% CI: 0.890–0.990) in the verification cohort, which was better than for any single model. The comprehensive model was divided into high-risk and low-risk groups. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that all factors were significantly correlated with poor OS in the high-risk group. A comprehensive nomogram based on multi-model radiomics features can predict 3-year OS after rectal cancer surgery.

Structured and shared MRI staging lexicon and report of rectal cancer: A consensus proposal by the French Radiology Group (GRERCAR) and Surgical Group (GRECCAR) for rectal cancer

PURPOSE

To develop French guidelines by experts to standardize data acquisition, image interpretation, and reporting in rectal cancer staging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Evidence-based data and opinions of experts of GRERCAR (Groupe de REcherche en Radiologie sur le CAncer du Rectum [i.e., Rectal Cancer Imaging Research Group]) and GRECCAR (Groupe de REcherche en Chirurgie sur le CAncer du Rectum [i.e., Rectal Cancer Surgery Research Group]) were combined using the RAND-UCLA Appropriateness Method to attain consensus guidelines. Experts scoring of reporting template and protocol for data acquisition were collected; responses were analyzed and classified as "Recommended" versus "Not recommended" (when ≥ 80% consensus among experts) or uncertain (when < 80% consensus among experts).

RESULTS

Consensus regarding patient preparation, MRI sequences, staging and reporting was attained using the RAND-UCLA Appropriateness Method. A consensus was reached for each reporting template item among the experts. Tailored MRI protocol and standardized report were proposed.

CONCLUSION

These consensus recommendations should be used as a guide for rectal cancer staging with MRI.

Multiparameter MRI-based radiomics for preoperative prediction of extramural venous invasion in rectal cancer

OBJECTIVES

To compare multiparameter MRI-based radiomics for preoperative prediction of extramural venous invasion (EMVI) in rectal cancer using different machine learning algorithms and to develop and validate the best diagnostic model.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 317 patients with rectal cancer. Of these, 114 were EMVI positive and 203 were EMVI negative. Radiomics features were extracted from T₂-weighted imaging, T₁-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging, and enhanced T₁-weighted imaging of rectal cancer, followed by the dimension reduction of the features. Logistic regression, support vector machine, Bayes, K-nearest neighbor, and random forests algorithms were trained to obtain the radiomics signatures. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of each radiomics signature. The best radiomics signature was selected and combined with clinical and radiological characteristics to construct a joint model for predicting EMVI. Finally, the predictive performance of the joint model was assessed.

RESULTS

The Bayes-based radiomics signature performed well in both the training set and the test set, with the AUCs of 0.744 and 0.738, sensitivities of 0.754 and 0.728, and specificities of 0.887 and 0.918, respectively. The joint model performed best in both the training set and the test set, with the AUCs of 0.839 and 0.835, sensitivities of 0.633 and 0.714, and specificities of 0.901 and 0.885, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The joint model demonstrated the best diagnostic performance for the preoperative prediction of EMVI in patients with rectal cancer. Hence, it can be used as a key tool for clinical individualized EMVI prediction.

KEY POINTS

• Radiomics features from magnetic resonance imaging can be used to predict extramural venous invasion (EMVI) in rectal cancer. • Machine learning can improve the accuracy of predicting EMVI in rectal cancer. • Radiomics can serve as a noninvasive biomarker to monitor the status of EMVI.

Risk of nodal disease in patients with MRI-detected extramural vascular invasion in rectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The impact of magnetic resonance imaging-detected extramural vascular invasion (mrEMVI) in distant metastasis is well known but its correlation with prevalence of lymph node metastasis is less studied. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the prevalence of nodal disease in mrEMVI-positive and negative cases in rectal cancer.

METHODS

Following guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, a systematic literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EMBase was carried out to identify relevant studies published up to May 2019.

RESULTS

Our literature search generated 10 studies (863 and 1212 mrEMVI-positive and negative patients, respectively). The two groups (mrEMVI-positive and negative) were significantly different in terms of nodal disease status (odds ratio [OR] 3.15; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12-4.67; p < 0.001). The prevalence of nodal disease was 75.90% vs 52.56% in the positive mrEMVI vs negative mrEMVI group, respectively (p < 0.001). The prevalence of positive lymph node in positive mrEMVI patients treated with neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT/CRT) (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.65-3.69; p < 0.001) was less compared with the patients who underwent surgery alone (OR 6.25; 95% CI 3.74-10.44; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The probability of positive lymph nodes in cases of positive mrEMVI is distinctly greater compared with negative cases in rectal cancer. Positive mrEMVI indicates risk of nodal disease prevalence increased by threefold in rectal cancer.