Integration of deep learning and habitat radiomics for predicting the response to immunotherapy in NSCLC patients

Background The non-invasive biomarkers for predicting immunotherapy response are urgently needed to prevent both premature cessation of treatment and ineffective extension. This study aimed to construct a non-invasive model for predicting immunotherapy response, based on the integration of deep learning and habitat radiomics in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Independent patient cohorts from three medical centers were enrolled for training ( n = 164) and test ( n = 82). Habitat imaging radiomics features were derived from sub-regions clustered from individual’s tumor by K-means method. The deep learning features were extracted based on 3D ResNet algorithm. Pearson correlation coefficient, T test and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression were used to select features. Support vector machine was applied to implement deep learning and habitat radiomics, respectively. Then, a combination model was developed integrating both sources of data. Results The combination model obtained a strong well-performance, achieving area under receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.865 (95% CI 0.772–0.931). The model significantly discerned high and low-risk patients, and exhibited a significant benefit in the clinical use. Conclusion The integration of deep-leaning and habitat radiomics contributed to predicting response to immunotherapy in patients with NSCLC. The developed integration model may be used as potential tool for individual immunotherapy management.