A radiomics nomogram model for predicting prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma after high-intensity focused ultrasound surgery.

Objective: To develop and validate a radiomics nomogram for predicting the survival of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) after receiving high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment.

Methods: A total of 52 patients with PDAC were enrolled. To select features, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm were applied, and the radiomics score (Rad-Score) was obtained. Radiomics model, clinics model, and radiomics nomogram model were constructed by multivariate regression analysis. The identification, calibration, and clinical application of nomogram were evaluated. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier (K-M) method.

Results: According to conclusions made from the multivariate Cox model, Rad-Score, and tumor size were independent risk factors for OS. Compared with the clinical model and radiomics model, the combination of Rad-Score and clinicopathological factors could better predict the survival of patients. Patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups according to Rad-Score. K-M analysis showed that the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( < 0.05). In addition, the radiomics nomogram model indicated better discrimination, calibration, and clinical practicability in training and validation cohorts.

Conclusion: The radiomics nomogram effectively evaluates the prognosis of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer after HIFU surgery, which could potentially improve treatment strategies and promote individualized treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer.