Resumen
The prediction of the tumor stage is very difficult and is notably problematic to carry out a proper follow-up of the treatment of the tumor. The Applicant has found a way to circumvent such problem by proposing a computer tool which is adapted to predict the tumor stage of a subject, based on original parameters; a volume of the tumor calculated based on images obtained by one modality, at least one parameter relative to the interaction between a chemical agent and the tumor, and t least one parameter relative to the presence of tumor vessels in a volume containing the tumor.
Reivindicaciones
CLAIMS 1 A method for predicting the tumor stage of a tumor of a subject, the method being computer-implemented, the method comprising the steps of : - providing images of the tumor of the subject obtained by several modalities, - extracting a set of parameters from the provided images, the set of parameters comprising: - a volume of the tumor calculated based on images obtained by one modality, - at least one parameter relative to the interaction between a chemical agent and the tumor, and - at least one parameter relative to the presence of tumor vessels in a volume containing the tumor, and - determining the tumor stage based on the extracted set of parameters. 2.- The method for predicting according to claim 1 , wherein the extracted set of parameters comprises several values for volume of the tumor, each value being obtained by calculation on images obtained by a respective modality. 3.- The method for predicting according to claim 2, wherein the several modalities at the step of providing comprises ultrasound imaging and positron emission tomography. 4.- The method for predicting according to claim 2, wherein the several modalities at the step of providing consists of positron emission tomography, ultrasound imaging and computed tomography imaging. 5.- The method for predicting according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one parameter relative to the interaction between a chemical agent and the tumor is the concentration of the chemical agent in a volume containing the tumor. 6.- The method for predicting according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least one parameter relative to the presence of tumor vessels is the number of nodes, the density of nodes or a length of at least one vessel. 7.- The method for predicting according any one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one parameter relative to the length is chosen in the list consisting of : - the average of the minimum length of each vessel, - the average of the minimum length of each vessel, and - the variance of the mean vessel lengths. 8.- The method for predicting according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the set of parameters consists in: - a volume of the tumor calculated based on images obtained by several modalities, - one parameter relative to the concentration of a chemical agent in a volume containing the tumor, and - one parameter relative to the presence of tumor vessels in a volume containing the tumor. 9.- The method for predicting according to any one of the claims 1 to 8, wherein each stage is associated to a domain of values for each parameter and, during the step of determining, the stage is determined based on the domain to which the extracted set of parameters belongs. 10.- The method for predicting according to any one of the claims 1 to 9, wherein the number of stages is equal to 4 and wherein: - the first stage corresponds to an early stage of the tumor, - the second stage corresponds to a first intermediate reversible stage of the tumor, - the third stage corresponds to a second intermediate reversible stage of the tumor, and - the fourth stage corresponds to an irreversible end stage of the tumor. 11 .- The method for predicting according to any one of the claims 1 to 10, wherein the tumor is a paraganglioma. 12.- The method for predicting according to any one of the claims 1 to 11 , wherein the subject is a mammal. 13.- A computer program product comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 when said computer program product is executed on a suitable computer device. 14.- A computer readable medium having encoded thereon a computer program product according to claim 13.
