Comparing computer-generated and pathologist-generated tumour segmentations for immunohistochemical scoring of breast tissue microarrays.
BACKGROUND
Tissue microarrays (TMAs) have become a valuable resource for biomarker expression in translational research. Immunohistochemical (IHC) assessment of TMAs is the principal method for analysing large numbers of patient samples, but manual IHC assessment of TMAs remains a challenging and laborious task. With advances in image analysis, computer-generated analyses of TMAs have the potential to lessen the burden of expert pathologist review.


METHODS
In current commercial software computerised oestrogen receptor (ER) scoring relies on tumour localisation in the form of hand-drawn annotations. In this study, tumour localisation for ER scoring was evaluated comparing computer-generated segmentation masks with those of two specialist breast pathologists. Automatically and manually obtained segmentation masks were used to obtain IHC scores for thirty-two ER-stained invasive breast cancer TMA samples using FDA-approved IHC scoring software.


RESULTS
Although pixel-level comparisons showed lower agreement between automated and manual segmentation masks (κ=0.81) than between pathologists' masks (κ=0.91), this had little impact on computed IHC scores (Allred; =0.91, Quickscore; =0.92).


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed automated system provides consistent measurements thus ensuring standardisation, and shows promise for increasing IHC analysis of nuclear staining in TMAs from large clinical trials.
School of Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK.
Shazia
S
Akbar
NHS Tayside Department of Pathology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK.
Lee B
LB
Jordan
NHS Tayside Department of Pathology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK.
Colin A
CA
Purdie
Department of Surgical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler Street, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Alastair M
AM
Thompson
School of Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK.
Stephen J
SJ
McKenna
D057205:Automation, Laboratory / Q000379:methods; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010820:Physicians; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D012984:Software; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen