Characterising early stage cervical cancer using radiomic features derived from T2- and diffusion-weighted images: a potential prognostic tool in surgical management?

Radiomic features were compared between cervical tumors below and above the volume threshold of eligibility for trachelectomy (< or >4 cm³) to determine their potential prognostic value. Textural feature differences between smaller and larger tumors were similar for both the T2-W and the ADC data. Homogeneity and Energy were increased and Entropy, Contrast and Cluster Prominence decreased in larger tumors. This may reflect the transition from a mixed morphology (tumor elements interspersed with normal glands and stroma) in smaller tumors to more homogenous sheets of malignant cells as tumors increase in size and de-differentiate.