Predicting Postoperative Lung Function in Patients with Lung Cancer Using Imaging Biomarkers

This study aimed to predict postoperative lung function in lung cancer patients using imaging biomarkers from chest CT scans analyzed with AVIEW COPD software. A retrospective analysis of 79 patients who underwent lung surgery assessed postoperative forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). Preoperative clinico-pathological parameters and imaging biomarkers, such as airway wall thickness (Wafw), severity of emphysema (Pi1), total lung volume, and pulmonary vessel volume, were quantitatively measured. Logistic and linear regressions evaluated these variables. Patients were grouped into preserved (63 patients) and non-preserved (16 patients) postoperative FEV1 based on their actual versus projected FEV1. Higher vessel volume was observed in the preserved group, while Pi1 and Wafw were identified as independent predictors of postoperative lung function. The study concludes that imaging biomarkers are significant in predicting postoperative lung function in lung cancer patients.