A potential field segmentation based method for tumor segmentation on multi-parametric MRI of glioma cancer patients

Abstract Background Accurate segmentation of brain tumors is vital for the gross tumor volume (GTV) definition in radiotherapy. Functional MR images like apparent diffusion constant (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) images can provide more comprehensive information for sensitive detection of the...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ranran Sun, Keqiang Wang, Lu Guo, Chengwen Yang, Jie Chen, Yalin Ti, Yu Sa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2019-06-01
Series:BMC Medical Imaging
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12880-019-0348-y
_version_ 1818696075808079872
author Ranran Sun
Keqiang Wang
Lu Guo
Chengwen Yang
Jie Chen
Yalin Ti
Yu Sa
author_facet Ranran Sun
Keqiang Wang
Lu Guo
Chengwen Yang
Jie Chen
Yalin Ti
Yu Sa
author_sort Ranran Sun
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Accurate segmentation of brain tumors is vital for the gross tumor volume (GTV) definition in radiotherapy. Functional MR images like apparent diffusion constant (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) images can provide more comprehensive information for sensitive detection of the GTV. We synthesize anatomical and functional MRI for accurate and semi-automatic segmentation of GTVs and improvement of clinical efficiency. Methods Four MR image sets including T1-weighted contrast-enhanced (T1C), T2-weighted (T2), apparent diffusion constant (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) images of 5 glioma patients were acquired and registered. A new potential field segmentation (PFS) method was proposed based on the concept of potential field in physics. For T1C, T2 and ADC images, global potential field segmentation (global-PFS) was used on user defined region of interest (ROI) for rough segmentation and then morphologically processed for accurate delineation of the GTV. For FA images, white matter (WM) was removed using local potential field segmentation (local-PFS), and then tumor extent was delineated with region growing and morphological methods. The individual segmentations of multi-parametric images were ensembled into a fused segmentation, considered as final GTV. GTVs were compared with manually delineated ground truth and evaluated with segmentation quality measure (Q), Dice’s similarity coefficient (DSC) and Sensitivity and Specificity. Results Experimental study with the five patients’ data and new method showed that, the mean values of Q, DSC, Sensitivity and Specificity were 0.80 (±0.07), 0.88 (±0.04), 0.92 (±0.01) and 0.88 (±0.05) respectively. The global-PFS used on ROIs of T1C, T2 and ADC images can avoid interferences from skull and other non-tumor areas. Similarity to local-PFS on FA images, it can also reduce the time complexity as compared with the global-PFS on whole image sets. Conclusions Efficient and semi-automatic segmentation of the GTV can be achieved with the new method. Combination of anatomical and functional MR images has the potential to provide new methods and ideas for target definition in radiotherapy.
first_indexed 2024-12-17T13:55:36Z
format Article
id doaj.art-362dd41876bc4ae28882b525a0730403
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1471-2342
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-17T13:55:36Z
publishDate 2019-06-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Medical Imaging
spelling doaj.art-362dd41876bc4ae28882b525a07304032022-12-21T21:45:56ZengBMCBMC Medical Imaging1471-23422019-06-011911910.1186/s12880-019-0348-yA potential field segmentation based method for tumor segmentation on multi-parametric MRI of glioma cancer patientsRanran Sun0Keqiang Wang1Lu Guo2Chengwen Yang3Jie Chen4Yalin Ti5Yu Sa6Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin UniversityDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin UniversityDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin UniversityDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin UniversityDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Cancer HospitalGlobal Research Organization, GE HealthcareDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin UniversityAbstract Background Accurate segmentation of brain tumors is vital for the gross tumor volume (GTV) definition in radiotherapy. Functional MR images like apparent diffusion constant (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) images can provide more comprehensive information for sensitive detection of the GTV. We synthesize anatomical and functional MRI for accurate and semi-automatic segmentation of GTVs and improvement of clinical efficiency. Methods Four MR image sets including T1-weighted contrast-enhanced (T1C), T2-weighted (T2), apparent diffusion constant (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) images of 5 glioma patients were acquired and registered. A new potential field segmentation (PFS) method was proposed based on the concept of potential field in physics. For T1C, T2 and ADC images, global potential field segmentation (global-PFS) was used on user defined region of interest (ROI) for rough segmentation and then morphologically processed for accurate delineation of the GTV. For FA images, white matter (WM) was removed using local potential field segmentation (local-PFS), and then tumor extent was delineated with region growing and morphological methods. The individual segmentations of multi-parametric images were ensembled into a fused segmentation, considered as final GTV. GTVs were compared with manually delineated ground truth and evaluated with segmentation quality measure (Q), Dice’s similarity coefficient (DSC) and Sensitivity and Specificity. Results Experimental study with the five patients’ data and new method showed that, the mean values of Q, DSC, Sensitivity and Specificity were 0.80 (±0.07), 0.88 (±0.04), 0.92 (±0.01) and 0.88 (±0.05) respectively. The global-PFS used on ROIs of T1C, T2 and ADC images can avoid interferences from skull and other non-tumor areas. Similarity to local-PFS on FA images, it can also reduce the time complexity as compared with the global-PFS on whole image sets. Conclusions Efficient and semi-automatic segmentation of the GTV can be achieved with the new method. Combination of anatomical and functional MR images has the potential to provide new methods and ideas for target definition in radiotherapy.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12880-019-0348-yBrain tumorFunctional magnetic resonance imagingFusionSemi-automatic segmentation
spellingShingle Ranran Sun
Keqiang Wang
Lu Guo
Chengwen Yang
Jie Chen
Yalin Ti
Yu Sa
A potential field segmentation based method for tumor segmentation on multi-parametric MRI of glioma cancer patients
BMC Medical Imaging
Brain tumor
Functional magnetic resonance imaging
Fusion
Semi-automatic segmentation
title A potential field segmentation based method for tumor segmentation on multi-parametric MRI of glioma cancer patients
title_full A potential field segmentation based method for tumor segmentation on multi-parametric MRI of glioma cancer patients
title_fullStr A potential field segmentation based method for tumor segmentation on multi-parametric MRI of glioma cancer patients
title_full_unstemmed A potential field segmentation based method for tumor segmentation on multi-parametric MRI of glioma cancer patients
title_short A potential field segmentation based method for tumor segmentation on multi-parametric MRI of glioma cancer patients
title_sort potential field segmentation based method for tumor segmentation on multi parametric mri of glioma cancer patients
topic Brain tumor
Functional magnetic resonance imaging
Fusion
Semi-automatic segmentation
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12880-019-0348-y
work_keys_str_mv AT ranransun apotentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT keqiangwang apotentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT luguo apotentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT chengwenyang apotentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT jiechen apotentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT yalinti apotentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT yusa apotentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT ranransun potentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT keqiangwang potentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT luguo potentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT chengwenyang potentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT jiechen potentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT yalinti potentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients
AT yusa potentialfieldsegmentationbasedmethodfortumorsegmentationonmultiparametricmriofgliomacancerpatients