Radiomics: the facts and the challenges of image analysis

Radiomics is a complex multi-step process that can be considered as part of the more complex world of Artifical Intelligence (AI). The aim of radiomics is aiding clinical decision-making and outcome prediction for more personalized medicine.

Each step of the radiomics process brings challenges that have to be considered; for example, segmentation is challenging because of reproducibility issues. Indeed, there are debates if one should look for the ground truth that is usually considered the manual segmentation made by an expert radiologist, or for the highest reproducibility, that relies on automatic segmentation.

Quantitative features are mathematically extracted by software with different complexity levels. However, we should keep in mind that the numbers extracted and elaborated by software into complex matrices come from our DICOM images, and are therefore influenced by the acquisition parameters. Therefore, differences in numbers may not depend on differences in patho-physiology of a tissue, but only on differences in acquisitions. There are different ways to overcome these limits, and in this article we have faced some of them. Moreover, reproducibility and clinical value of radiomic features should first be tested with internal cross-validation and then validated on independent external cohorts, possibly in large prospective multicentric studies.

Key points:

  • Radiomics is a complex multi-step process aiding clinical decision-making and outcome prediction
  • Manual, automatic, and semi-automatic segmentation is challenging because of reproducibility issues
  • Quantitative features are mathematically extracted by software, with different complexity levels
  • Reproducibility and clinical value of radiomic features should be firstly tested with internal cross-validation and then validated on independent external cohorts

Article: Radiomics: the facts and the challenges of image analysis

Authors: Stefania Rizzo, Francesca Botta, Sara Raimondi, Daniela Origgi, Cristiana Fanciullo, Alessio Giuseppe Morganti and Massimo Bellomi

WRITTEN BY

  • Stefania Rizzo

    Division of Radiology, European Institute of Oncology

Latest posts

Become A Member Today!

You will have access to a wide range of benefits that can help you advance your career and stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field of radiology. These benefits include access to educational resources, networking opportunities with other professionals in the field, opportunities to participate in research projects and clinical trials, and access to the latest technologies and techniques. 

Check out our different membership options.

If you don’t find a fitting membership send us an email here.

Membership

for radiologists, radiology residents, professionals of allied sciences (including radiographers/radiological technologists, nuclear medicine physicians, medical physicists, and data scientists) & professionals of allied sciences in training residing within the boundaries of Europe

  • Reduced registration fees for ECR 1
  • Reduced fees for the European School of Radiology (ESOR) 2
  • Exclusive option to participate in the European Diploma. 3
  • Free electronic access to the journal European Radiology 4
  • Content e-mails for all ESR journals
  • Updates on offers & events through our newsletters
  • Exclusive access to the ESR feed in Juisci

€ 11 /year

Yes! That is less than €1 per month.

Free membership

for radiologists, radiology residents or professionals of allied sciences engaged in practice, teaching or research residing outside Europe as well as individual qualified professionals with an interest in radiology and medical imaging who do not fulfil individual or all requirements for any other ESR membership category & former full members who have retired from all clinical practice
  • Reduced registration fees for ECR 1
  • Free electronic access to the journal European Radiology
  • Content e-mails for all 3 ESR journals 4
  • Updates on offers & events through our newsletters
  • Exclusive access to the ESR feed in Juisci

€ 0

The best things in life are free.

ESR Friends

For students, company representatives or hospital managers etc.

  • Content e-mails for all 3 ESR journals 4
  • Updates on offers & events through our newsletters

€ 0

Friendship doesn’t cost a thing.

The membership type best fitting for you will be selected automatically during the application process.

Footnotes:

01

Reduced registration fees for ECR 2024:
Provided that ESR 2023 membership is activated and approved by August 31, 2023.

Reduced registration fees for ECR 2025:
Provided that ESR 2024 membership is activated and approved by August 31, 2024.

02
Not all activities included
03
Examination based on the ESR European Training Curriculum (radiologists or radiology residents).
04
European Radiology, Insights into Imaging, European Radiology Experimental.