Contribution of texture features and LC3B immunohistochemical staining in colectomy materials to prognosis prediction in newly diagnosed colon cancer.

Objective: In this study, it is aimed to reveal the prognostic value of conventional parameters and texture features obtained from pretreatment F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) images in newly diagnosed colon cancer patients by evaluating their relationship with overall survival and disease-free survival and to investigate the contribution of LC3b immunohistochemical (IHC) staining in colectomy materials to predict survival.

Materials and methods: Fifty-four patients who were diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent F-18 FDG PET/CT imaging in our hospital between November 2019 and January 2023 for pretreatment staging, who did not receive chemoradiotherapy, and who were operated in our hospital afterward were included in the study. In the pet imaging of the patients, the tumoral lesion was manually segmented, and SUV-based conventional parameters were obtained with the texture features of the lesion. The average 31-month survival information of the patients was obtained from the hospital information system. LC3b IHC staining could not be performed in patients whose colectomy preparations could not be accessed from the pathology archive or whose tissue was not suitable for staining. LC3b staining scores of 33 patients who could be evaluated were determined by the pathologist.

Findings: The mean sphericity value was significantly higher in the disease-free group compared with the progression group (0.67 vs. 0.56; P  = 0.021). The mean value of asphericity (0.81 vs 0.52; P  = 0.026) and the mean value of compacity (26.42 vs 20.38; P  = 0.028) were significantly higher in the progression group compared with the disease-free group. A statistically significant association was found between LC3B staining positivity and moderate-to-poor tumor differentiation.

Conclusion: PET/CT-based shape features may serve as potential noninvasive prognostic markers in colon cancer. Although a significant relationship was observed between LC3B expression and tumor differentiation levels, its potential prognostic value for survival warrants further investigation due to our limited sample size.