TNM-O: ontology support for staging of malignant tumours.

Martin Boeker,Stefan Schulz,Fábio França,Peter Bronsert

doi:10.1186/s13326-016-0106-9

Abstract

BackgroundObjectives of this work are to (1) present an ontological framework for the TNM classification system, (2) exemplify this framework by an ontology for colon and rectum tumours, and (3) evaluate this ontology by assigning TNM classes to real world pathology data.MethodsThe TNM ontology uses the Foundational Model of Anatomy for anatomical entities and BioTopLite 2 as a domain top-level ontology. General rules for the TNM classification system and the specific TNM classification for colorectal tumours were axiomatised in description logic. Case-based information was collected from tumour documentation practice in the Comprehensive Cancer Centre of a large university hospital. Based on the ontology, a module was developed that classifies pathology data.ResultsTNM was represented as an information artefact, which consists of single representational units. Corresponding to every representational unit, tumours and tumour aggregates were defined. Tumour aggregates consist of the primary tumour and, if existing, of infiltrated regional lymph nodes and distant metastases. TNM codes depend on the location and certain qualities of the primary tumour (T), the infiltrated regional lymph nodes (N) and the existence of distant metastases (M). Tumour data from clinical and pathological documentation were successfully classified with the ontology.ConclusionA first version of the TNM Ontology represents the TNM system for the description of the anatomical extent of malignant tumours. The present work demonstrates its representational power and completeness as well as its applicability for classification of instance data.

Highlights

Objectives of this work are to (1) present an ontological framework for the TNM classification system, (2) exemplify this framework by an ontology for colon and rectum tumours, and (3) evaluate this ontology by assigning TNM classes to real world pathology data
We propose to close the gap of a missing formal representation by outlining and prototyping the TNM ontology (TNM-O)
The building of domain ontologies under BioTopLite 2 (BTL2) heavily constrains the freedom of the ontology engineer, which is fully intended as it guarantees a higher predictability of the outcomes of the domain ontology production under BTL2

Summary

Introduction

Objectives of this work are to (1) present an ontological framework for the TNM classification system, (2) exemplify this framework by an ontology for colon and rectum tumours, and (3) evaluate this ontology by assigning TNM classes to real world pathology data. Clinical and pathological staging of malignant tumours is one of the most important procedures in the diagnosis of cancer for prognosis assessment and treatment planning. The most important coding system for tumour staging is the Tumour-Node-Metastasis (TNM) classification [2] for malignant tumours, published by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). Besides a growing number of reliable biomarkers, TNM classification and staging are the most important information for the therapy planning for patients with colorectal cancer [3,4,5] and other solid tumours (e.g. cancer of the head and neck [6] or breast tumours [7]), except cancers of the central

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Discussion

Conclusion