Development of a machine learning-based preoperative prediction model for spread through air spaces in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma
- VernacularTitle:基于机器学习构建早期肺腺癌气腔播散的术前预测模型
- Author:
Kai CHU
1
,
2
;
Xinrong XU
2
;
Zhenyu LIU
1
,
2
;
Qinglin REN
2
;
Wenbo HE
2
;
Minlu HU
2
;
Xiaolin WANG
2
;
Yusheng SHU
1
,
2
Author Information
1. The Affiliated Yangzhou Clinical College of Xuzhou Medical University, Yangzhou, 225000, Jiangsu, P. R. China
2. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital, Yangzhou, 225000, Jiangsu, P. R. China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Machine learning;
spread through air spaces;
early-stage lung adenocarcinoma;
SHAP analysis;
preoperative prediction;
radiological features;
clinical decision-making;
risk stratification
- From:
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
2026;33(08):1212-1221
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To develop and validate a machine learning model based on preoperative clinical characteristics, laboratory indices, and radiological features for the non-invasive prediction of spread through air spaces (STAS) in patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. Methods Preoperative data from patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma who underwent surgical resection at Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital between January 2020 and August 2025 were retrospectively collected. The data included clinical characteristics, laboratory indices, and radiological features. Patients were divided into a STAS-positive and a STAS-negative group based on postoperative pathological findings. The dataset was randomly split into a training set and a testing set at a 7 : 3 ratio. Feature variables were selected using the maximum relevance and minimum redundancy (mRMR) algorithm and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. Five machine learning models were constructed: logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis (DCA). The shapley additive explanations (SHAP) method was employed to interpret the optimal prediction model. Results A total of 377 patients were included, comprising 177 (46.9%) males and 200 (53.1%) females, with a mean age of (63.31±9.73) years. There were 261 patients in the training set and 116 patients in the testing set. In the training set, statistically significant differences were observed between the STAS-positive group (n=130) and STAS-negative group (n=131) across multiple features, including age, sex, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), clinical T stage, and maximum solid component diameter (P<0.05). A final set of 10 feature variables was selected by combining mRMR and LASSO regression, and five machine learning models (LR, RF, SVM, LightGBM, XGBoost) were developed. The XGBoost model demonstrated optimal performance in both the training and testing sets, achieving AUCs of 0.947 [95%CI (0.920, 0.975)] and 0.943 [95%CI (0.894, 0.993)], respectively. DCA indicated that the XGBoost model provided a high net clinical benefit across a wide range of threshold probabilities. SHAP analysis revealed that the vessel convergence sign, clinical T stage, age, consolidation-to-tumor ratio (CTR), and MLR were the features with the highest contributions to STAS prediction. Conclusion The XGBoost model effectively predicts preoperative STAS status in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, exhibiting excellent discriminative performance and good clinical interpretability. Key predictors such as the vessel convergence sign, clinical T stage, age and CTR provide a crucial reference for preoperative risk assessment and the individualized selection of surgical strategies, ultimately benefiting patients.
