Contrast-Enhanced CT Texture Analysis in Colon Cancer: Correlation with Genetic Markers

Background: The purpose of the study was to determine whether contrast-enhanced CT texture features relate to, and can predict, the presence of specific genetic mutations involved in CRC carcinogenesis. Materials and methods: This retrospective study analyzed the pre-operative CT in the venous phase of patients with CRC, who underwent testing for mutations in the KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and MSI genes. Using a specific software based on CT images of each patient, for each slice including the tumor a region of interest was manually drawn along the margin, obtaining the volume of interest. A total of 56 texture parameters were extracted that were compared between the wild-type gene group and the mutated gene group. A p-value of