Ultrasonic spectrum analysis noninvasively predicts malignant/benign lesions in lung cancer patients

A recent study has suggested the use of spectrum analysis of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) radiofrequency in predicting malignant or benign peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPL) noninvasively in patients with lung cancer.

“Analysis of the ‘intercept’ of the targeted lesion may provide useful supporting data for real‐time sampling from PPL during diagnostic bronchoscopy,” the authors said.

Seventy-one PPL were analysed, of which 45 were malignant lesions and 26 benign. Malignant PPL had a significantly lower intercept (p<0.0001), lower midband-fit (p<0.0001) and higher slope (p=0.014) compared with benign PPL.

Of the three parameters, intercept showed the best diagnostic performance (0.87 for intercept, 0.77 for midband-fit and 0.69 for slope) in analyses of the area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic plots.

The corresponding sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative likelihood were 75.6 percent, 96.2 percent, 83.1 percent, 19.6 and 0.25 for the intercept; 88.9 percent, 57.7 percent, 77.5 percent, 2.1 and 0.19 for the midband-fit; and 68.9 percent, 73.1 percent, 70.4 percent, 2.6 and 0.43 for the slope.

In this study, the authors prospectively recorded raw radial‐probe EBUS images with radiofrequency data, including backscatter signals. They computed the ultrasonic spectral parameters (ie, intercept, midband-fit and slope) within the region of interest using linear regression analysis and compared these with the final diagnosis.

“Analysis of the EBUS radiofrequency spectrum has been used for convex‐probe EBUS technology,” according to the authors. “Quantitative imaging analysis is also warranted for guided bronchoscopy using radial‐probe EBUS targeting PPL.”