RESEARCH
CT radiomics identifies imaging biomarkers in RAS-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer — European Journal of Radiology
Researchers established a co-clinical computed tomography (CT) radiomics pipeline for identifying candidate imaging biomarkers in RAS-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer. Orthotopic KRAS-mutant xenograft models (LOVO-Luc2 and SW480-Luc2, N=52 each) were treated with standard-of-care regimens (FOLFOX, bevacizumab, or combination) and longitudinally imaged by CT (N=104 tumour scans, N=156 liver scans over 4 timepoints). Radiomic features derived from primary tumour and liver parenchyma were assessed as biomarkers of treatment sensitivity and early metastatic disease. Pre-treatment CT-radiomics identified baseline radiomic correlates of treatment sensitivity in the LOVO-Luc2 model (0.716), with first-order statistical features (Median, 10percentile) significantly associated with response.
What this means
This preclinical research suggests that advanced analysis of routine CT scans (radiomics) may eventually help predict which RAS-mutant colorectal cancers will respond to specific treatments. While this is early-stage animal research, it could lead to non-invasive imaging tests that personalize treatment selection before therapy begins.