Comparison between linear and nonlinear machine-learning algorithms for the classification of thyroid nodules

Publication date: Available online 27 February 2019

Source: European Journal of Radiology

Author(s): Fu-sheng Ouyang, Bao-liang Guo, Li-zhu Ouyang, Zi-wei Liu, Shao-jia Lin, Wei Meng, Xi-yi Huang, Hai-xiong Chen, Hu Qiu-gen, Shao-ming Yang

Abstract

Background

A key challenge in thyroid carcinoma is preoperatively diagnosing malignant thyroid nodules. The purpose of this study was to compare the classification performance of linear and nonlinear machine-learning algorithms for the evaluation of thyroid nodules using pathological reports as reference standard.

Methods

Ethical approval was obtained for this retrospective analysis, and the informed consent requirement was waived. A total of 1,179 thyroid nodules (training cohort, n = 700; validation cohort, n = 479) were confirmed by pathological reports or fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. The following ultrasonography (US) features were measured for each nodule: size (maximum diameter), margins, shape, aspect ratio, capsule, hypoechoic halo, composition, echogenicity, calcification pattern, vascularity, and cervical lymph node status. We analyzed five nonlinear and three linear machine-learning algorithms. The diagnostic performance of each algorithm was compared by using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve. We repeated this process 1000 times to obtain the mean AUC and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Overall, nonlinear machine-learning algorithms demonstrated similar AUCs compared with linear algorithms. The Random Forest and Kernel Support Vector Machines algorithms achieved slightly greater AUCs in the validation cohort (0.954, 95% CI: 0.939-0.969; 0.954 95%CI: 0.939-0.969, respectively) than other algorithms.

Conclusions

Overall, nonlinear machine-learning algorithms share similar performance compared with linear algorithms for the evaluation the malignancy risk of thyroid nodules.

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