title: Shape factor analysis of progressive rat hepatoma images.
abstract: We explore the hypothesis that shape factors can be used as tools to probe disease progression in addition to being used for simple classification. We define and apply a new shape factor to digital images of tumor cross sections of progressive rat hepatoma. Using a number of standard pathological measures, each image is also associated with a "disease time," a continuous variable between 0 and 1 with 0 being disease initiation and 1 being a near-fatal condition. The images are converted to data files that represent the 2-D shapes of the tumors. Their shape factors are then determined and plotted versus disease time. The results show that the shape factor can indicate and localize the tumor structural phase transition that occurs between uniform growth and infiltration.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Center for Comparative Oncology, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA. wspillma@yahoo.com
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Spillman
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Kenith E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Meissner
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jesselli
authors.forename: J Daniel
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bourland
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.forename: Edward G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique