Mishra, Anup

ABSTRACT Background Family history of pancreatic cancer (PC), pathogenic germline variants (PGVs), and increased intrapancreatic fat (IPF) are individually associated with increased PC risk. Whether IPF is elevated in high‐risk individuals (HRIs) with PC family history or PGVs is unknown. Although MRI is the preferred modality for IPF measurement, region‐of‐interest–based approaches are prone to sampling bias because pancreatic fat is heterogeneously distributed. We aimed to compare IPF among HRIs and matched non‐HRI controls using an Artificial intelligence (AI)‐based tool for whole pancreatic IPF measurement applied to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods We developed and validated a deep‐learning pipeline for IPF measurement that incorporates automated pancreas segmentation on T1‐weighted MRI images registered to the corresponding iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least squares estimation images to compute IPF using proton density fat fraction (PDFF). This pipeline was used to quantify IPF and assess IPF distribution patterns in 85 HRIs and 170 non‐HRIs matched 1:2 for age, sex, BMI, and diabetes status. A surface erosion approach was developed to minimize the impact of peripancreatic fat on IPF measurement. Linear models adjusting for matching variables were used to assess associations. Results Model‐expert agreement for whole‐pancreas PDFF was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98–0.99 mean absolute error 1.4%). Mean PDFF did not differ between HRIs and controls (25.8% [11.5] vs. 26.9% [11.4]; p = 0.32). PDFF increased with age ( p = 0.015), male sex ( p < 0.001), presence of diabetes ( p = 0.009), BMI ( p < 0.001). IPF distribution patterns did not differ by risk group. Conclusion An AI‐based approach provides accurate, scalable, and objective assessment of IPF quantity and distribution. IPF quantity and spatial distribution do not appear to differ based on germline or familial predisposition to PC.

INTRODUCTION: Accurate risk prediction can facilitate screening and early detection of pancreatic cancer (PC). We conducted a systematic review to critically evaluate effectiveness of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques applied to electronic health records (EHR) for PC risk prediction. METHODS: Ovid MEDLINE(R), Ovid EMBASE, Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for articles that utilized ML/AI techniques to predict PC, published between January 1, 2012, and February 1, 2024. Study selection and data extraction were conducted by 2 independent reviewers. Critical appraisal and data extraction were performed using the CHecklist for critical Appraisal and data extraction for systematic Reviews of prediction Modelling Studies checklist. Risk of bias and applicability were examined using prediction model risk of bias assessment tool. RESULTS: Thirty studies including 169,149 PC cases were identified. Logistic regression was the most frequent modeling method. Twenty studies utilized a curated set of known PC risk predictors or those identified by clinical experts. ML model discrimination performance (C-index) ranged from 0.57 to 1.0. Missing data were underreported, and most studies did not implement explainable-AI techniques or report exclusion time intervals. DISCUSSION: AI/ML models for PC risk prediction using known risk factors perform reasonably well and may have near-term applications in identifying cohorts for targeted PC screening if validated in real-world data sets. The combined use of structured and unstructured EHR data using emerging AI models while incorporating explainable-AI techniques has the potential to identify novel PC risk factors, and this approach merits further study.

The search for non-invasive, fast, and low-cost diagnostic tools has gained significant traction among many researchers worldwide. Dielectric properties calculated from microwave signals offer unique insights into biological tissue. Material properties, such as relative permittivity (εr) and conductivity (σ), can vary significantly between healthy and unhealthy tissue types at a given frequency. Understanding this difference in properties is key for identifying the disease state. The frequency-dependent nature of the dielectric measurements results in large datasets, which can be postprocessed using artificial intelligence (AI) methods. In this work, the dielectric properties of liver tissues in three mouse models of liver disease are characterized using dielectric spectroscopy. The measurements are grouped into four categories based on the diets or disease state of the mice, i.e., healthy mice, mice with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) induced by choline-deficient high-fat diet, mice with NASH induced by western diet, and mice with liver fibrosis. Multi-class classification machine learning (ML) models are then explored to differentiate the liver tissue groups based on dielectric measurements. The results show that the support vector machine (SVM) model was able to differentiate the tissue groups with an accuracy up to 90%. This technology pipeline, thus, shows great potential for developing the next generation non-invasive diagnostic tools.