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Radiomics: from qualitative to quantitative imaging

British Journal of Radiology, vol. 93, pp. 20190948

Abstract

Historically, medical imaging has been a qualitative or semi-quantitative modality. It is difficult to quantify what can be seen in an image, and to turn it into valuable predictive outcomes. As a result of advances in both computational hardware and machine learning algorithms, computers are making great strides in obtaining quantitative information from imaging and correlating it with outcomes. Radiomics, in its two forms "handcrafted and deep," is an emerging field that translates medical images into quantitative data to yield biological information and enable radiologic phenotypic profiling for diagnosis, theragnosis, decision support, and monitoring. Handcrafted radiomics is a multistage process in which features based on shape, pixel intensities, and texture are extracted from radiographs. Within this review, we describe the steps: starting with quantitative imaging data, how it can be extracted, how to correlate it with clinical and biological outcomes, resulting in models that can be used to make predictions, such as survival, or for detection and classification used in diagnostics. The application of deep learning, the second arm of radiomics, and its place in the radiomics workflow is discussed, along with its advantages and disadvantages. To better illustrate the technologies being used, we provide real-world clinical applications of radiomics in oncology, showcasing research on the applications of radiomics, as well as covering its limitations and its future direction.

Authors 16

  1. Maastricht University Medical Centre · Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Thoracic Oncology, IRCCS Foundation National Cancer Institute , Milan , Italy

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  2. Maastricht University Medical Centre · Jazan University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University , Jazan , Saudi Arabia

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  3. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  4. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Radiology and Nuclear Imaging, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

    Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Grow-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  5. Maastricht University Medical Centre · Universitätsklinikum Aachen · Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Nuclear Medicine and Comprehensive diagnostic center Aachen (CDCA), University Hospital RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany

    Department of Radiology and Nuclear Imaging, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

    Division of Nuclear Medicine and Oncological Imaging, Department of Medical Physics, Hospital Center Universitaire De Liege , Liege , Belgium

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  6. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  7. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  8. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  9. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  10. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  11. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  12. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  13. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  14. University of Zurich · Maastricht University Medical Centre · University Hospital Zurich

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Zürich , Zürich , Switzerland

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

    University of Zürich , Zürich , Switzerland

  15. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Radiology and Nuclear Imaging, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

  16. Maastricht University Medical Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Radiology and Nuclear Imaging, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

    The D-Lab & The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW – School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands

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References 154