Tumor radiomic features complement clinico-radiological factors in predicting long-term local control and laryngectomy free survival in locally advanced laryngo-pharyngeal cancers

Objective:To study if pre-treatment CT texture features in locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of laryngo-pharynx can predict long-term local control and laryngectomy free survival (LFS).Methods:Image texture features of 60 patients treated with chemoradiation (CTRT) within an ethically approved study were studied on contrast-enhanced images using a texture analysis research software (TexRad, UK). A filtration-histogram technique was used where the filtration step extracted and enhanced features of different sizes and intensity variations corresponding to a particular spatial scale filter (SSF): SSF = 0 (without filtration), SSF = 2 mm (fine texture), SSF = 3–5 mm (medium texture) and SSF = 6 mm (coarse texture). Quantification by statistical and histogram technique comprised mean intensity, standard-deviation, entropy, mean positive pixels, skewness and kurtosis. The ability of texture analysis to predict LFS or local control was determined using Kaplan–Meier analysis and multivariate cox model.Results:Median follow-up of patients was 24 months (95% CI:20–28). 39 (65%) patients were locally controlled at last follow-up. 10 (16%) had undergone salvage laryngectomy after CTRT. For both local control & LFS, threshold optimal cut-off values of texture features were analyzed. Medium filtered-texture feature that were associated with poorer laryngectomy free survival were entropy ≥4.54, (p = 0.006), kurtosis ≥4.18; p = 0.019, skewness ≤−0.59, p = 0.001, and standard deviation ≥43.18; p = 0.009). Inferior local control was associated with medium filtered features entropy ≥4.54; p 0.01 and skewness ≤ – 0.12; p = 0.02. Using fine filters, entropy ≥4.29 and kurtosis ≥−0.27 were also associated with inferior local control (p = 0.01 for both parameters). Multivariate analysis showed medium filter entropy as an independent predictor for LFS and local control (p < 0.001 & p = 0.001).Conclusion:Medium texture entropy is a predictor for inferior local control and laryngectomy free survival in locally advanced laryngo-pharyngeal cancer and this can complement clinico-radiological factors in predicting prognosticating these tumors.Advances in knowledge:Texture features play an important role as a surrogate imaging biomarker for predicting local control and laryngectomy free survival in locally advanced laryngo-pharyngeal tumors treated with definitive chemoradiation.