Segmentation model of soft tissue sarcoma based on self-supervised learning.

Introduction: Soft tissue sarcomas, similar in incidence to cervical and esophageal cancers, arise from various soft tissues like smooth muscle, fat, and fibrous tissue. Effective segmentation of sarcomas in imaging is crucial for accurate diagnosis. Methods: This study collected multi-modal MRI images from 45 patients with thigh soft tissue sarcoma, totaling 8,640 images. These images were annotated by clinicians to delineate the sarcoma regions, creating a comprehensive dataset. We developed a novel segmentation model based on the UNet framework, enhanced with residual networks and attention mechanisms for improved modality-specific information extraction. Additionally, self-supervised learning strategies were employed to optimize feature extraction capabilities of the encoders. Results: The new model demonstrated superior segmentation performance when using multi-modal MRI images compared to single-modal inputs. The effectiveness of the model in utilizing the created dataset was validated through various experimental setups, confirming the enhanced ability to characterize tumor regions across different modalities. Discussion: The integration of multi-modal MRI images and advanced machine learning techniques in our model significantly improves the segmentation of soft tissue sarcomas in thigh imaging. This advancement aids clinicians in better diagnosing and understanding the patient's condition, leveraging the strengths of different imaging modalities. Further studies could explore the application of these techniques to other types of soft tissue sarcomas and additional anatomical sites.