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State-of-the-art in radiomics of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review of basic principles, applications, and limitations

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Abstract

Radiomics is a new field in medical imaging with the potential of changing medical practice. Radiomics is characterized by the extraction of several quantitative imaging features which are not visible to the naked eye from conventional imaging modalities, and its correlation with specific relevant clinical endpoints, such as pathology, therapeutic response, and survival. Several studies have evaluated the use of radiomics in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with encouraging results, particularly in the pretreatment prediction of tumor biological characteristics, risk of recurrence, and survival. In spite of this, there are limitations and challenges to be overcome before the implementation of radiomics into clinical routine. In this article, we will review the concepts of radiomics and their current potential applications in patients with HCC. It is important that the multidisciplinary team involved in the treatment of patients with HCC be aware of the basic principles, benefits, and limitations of radiomics in order to achieve a balanced interpretation of the results toward a personalized medicine.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their deepest gratitude to Dr. Richard Kinh Gian Do, MD, PhD radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for his support on this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Joao Manoel Miranda Magalhaes Santos, Camila Carlos Tavares Rocha, Joao Vicente Horvat, Marcos Roberto Menezes & Natally Horvat

  2. Department of Radiology, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Adma Jafet, 91, Bela Vista, São Paulo, SP, 01308-050, Brazil

    Brunna Clemente Oliveira, Jose de Arimateia Batista Araujo-Filho, Joao Vicente Horvat, Marcos Roberto Menezes & Natally Horvat

  3. Department of Radiology, Hospital Samaritano, São Paulo, Brazil

    Brunna Clemente Oliveira

  4. Research and Education Institute, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil

    Antonildes N. Assuncao-Jr

  5. Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Felipe Augusto de M. Machado

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  1. Joao Manoel Miranda Magalhaes Santos
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Miranda Magalhaes Santos, J.M., Clemente Oliveira, B., Araujo-Filho, J.A.B. et al. State-of-the-art in radiomics of hepatocellular carcinoma: a review of basic principles, applications, and limitations. Abdom Radiol 45, 342–353 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-019-02299-3

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