Radiomics and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Rectal Cancer: From Engineering to Clinical Practice
Francesca Coppola,
Valentina Giannini,
Michela Gabelloni,
Jovana Panic,
Arianna Defeudis,
Silvia Lo Monaco,
Arrigo Cattabriga,
Maria Adriana Cocozza,
Luigi Vincenzo Pastore,
Michela Polici,
Damiano Caruso,
Andrea Laghi,
Daniele Regge,
Emanuele Neri,
Rita Golfieri,
Lorenzo Faggioni
Affiliations
Francesca Coppola
Department of Radiology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Valentina Giannini
Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
Michela Gabelloni
Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Jovana Panic
Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
Arianna Defeudis
Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
Silvia Lo Monaco
Department of Radiology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Arrigo Cattabriga
Department of Radiology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Maria Adriana Cocozza
Department of Radiology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Luigi Vincenzo Pastore
Department of Radiology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Michela Polici
Radiology Unit—Sant’Andrea University Hospital, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy
Damiano Caruso
Radiology Unit—Sant’Andrea University Hospital, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy
Andrea Laghi
Radiology Unit—Sant’Andrea University Hospital, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy
Daniele Regge
Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
Emanuele Neri
Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Rita Golfieri
Department of Radiology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Lorenzo Faggioni
Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
While cross-sectional imaging has seen continuous progress and plays an undiscussed pivotal role in the diagnostic management and treatment planning of patients with rectal cancer, a largely unmet need remains for improved staging accuracy, assessment of treatment response and prediction of individual patient outcome. Moreover, the increasing availability of target therapies has called for developing reliable diagnostic tools for identifying potential responders and optimizing overall treatment strategy on a personalized basis. Radiomics has emerged as a promising, still fully evolving research topic, which could harness the power of modern computer technology to generate quantitative information from imaging datasets based on advanced data-driven biomathematical models, potentially providing an added value to conventional imaging for improved patient management. The present study aimed to illustrate the contribution that current radiomics methods applied to magnetic resonance imaging can offer to managing patients with rectal cancer.