Computed Tomography–Derived Radiomic Metrics Can Identify Responders to Immunotherapy in Ovarian Cancer

Abstract

PURPOSE To determine if radiomic measures of tumor heterogeneity derived from baseline contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) are associated with durable clinical benefit and time to off-treatment in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer (OC) enrolled in prospective immunotherapeutic trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study included 75 patients with recurrent OC who were enrolled in prospective immunotherapeutic trials (n = 74) or treated off-label (n = 1) and had baseline CE-CT scans. Disease burden (total tumor volume, number of disease sites), radiomic measures of intertumor heterogeneity (cluster-site entropy, cluster-site dissimilarity), and intratumor heterogeneity of the largest lesion (Haralick texture features) were computed. Associations of clinical, conventional imaging, and radiomic measures with durable clinical benefit and time to off-treatment were examined. RESULTS In univariable analysis, fewer disease sites, lower intertumor heterogeneity (lower cluster-site entropy, lower cluster-site dissimilarity), and lower intratumor heterogeneity of the largest lesion (higher energy) were significantly associated with durable clinical benefit ( P ≤ .031). More disease sites, presence of pleural disease and/or distant metastases, higher intertumor heterogeneity (higher cluster-site entropy, higher cluster-site dissimilarity), and higher intratumor heterogeneity of the largest lesion (higher Contrast largest-lesion ) were significantly associated with shorter time to off-treatment ( P ≤ .034). In multivariable analysis, higher Energy largest-lesion (indicator of lower intratumor heterogeneity; P = .006; odds ratio, 1.41) and fewer disease sites ( P = .003; odds ratio, 1.64) remained significant indicators of durable clinical benefit (multivariable model C-index, 0.821). Higher cluster-site dissimilarity (indicator of higher intertumor heterogeneity) was a modest but single independent indicator of shorter time to off-treatment ( P = .004; hazard ratio, 1.19; C-index, 0.6). CONCLUSION Fewer disease sites and lower intra- and intertumor heterogeneity modeled from the baseline CE-CT may indicate better response of OC to immunotherapy.