BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have developed a prediction model to optimize treatment plans for rectal cancer patients, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The model can assist doctors in evaluating the risk of metastasis in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer after surgery, selecting patients suitable for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Metastasis is the main cause of treatment failure in locally advanced rectal cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy is usually used for distant control. However, not all patients can benefit from chemotherapy, and some patients may even get worse outcomes after the treatment.

Researchers from the Institute of Automation under the CAS and cooperative hospitals collected the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of 629 rectal cancer patients and detected radiomic features that are closely related to metastasis. They developed a prediction model to evaluate the patients' risk of metastasis in an individualized and non-invasive manner.

Results showed that the model outperforms current clinical tools. It can help doctors optimize treatment plans and prevent excessive chemotherapy.

The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.