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Huang TL, Lu NH, Huang YH, Twan WH, Yeh LR, Liu KY, Chen TB. Transfer learning with CNNs for efficient prostate cancer and BPH detection in transrectal ultrasound images. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21849. [PMID: 38071254 PMCID: PMC10710441 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49159-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Early detection of prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is crucial for maintaining the health and well-being of aging male populations. This study aims to evaluate the performance of transfer learning with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for efficient classification of PCa and BPH in transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) images. A retrospective experimental design was employed in this study, with 1380 TRUS images for PCa and 1530 for BPH. Seven state-of-the-art deep learning (DL) methods were employed as classifiers with transfer learning applied to popular CNN architectures. Performance indices, including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), Kappa value, and Hindex (Youden's index), were used to assess the feasibility and efficacy of the CNN methods. The CNN methods with transfer learning demonstrated a high classification performance for TRUS images, with all accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, PPV, NPV, Kappa, and Hindex values surpassing 0.9400. The optimal accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity reached 0.9987, 0.9980, and 0.9980, respectively, as evaluated using twofold cross-validation. The investigated CNN methods with transfer learning showcased their efficiency and ability for the classification of PCa and BPH in TRUS images. Notably, the EfficientNetV2 with transfer learning displayed a high degree of effectiveness in distinguishing between PCa and BPH, making it a promising tool for future diagnostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Te-Li Huang
- Department of Radiology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, No. 386, Dazhong 1st Rd., Zuoying Dist., Kaohsiung, 81362, Taiwan
| | - Nan-Han Lu
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Science, I-Shou University, No. 8, Yida Rd., Jiaosu Village, Yanchao District, Kaohsiung, 82445, Taiwan.
- Department of Pharmacy, Tajen University, No.20, Weixin Rd., Yanpu Township, Pingtung, 90741, Taiwan.
- Department of Radiology, E-DA Hospital, I-Shou University, No.1, Yida Rd., Jiao-Su Village, Yan-Chao District, Kaohsiung, 82445, Taiwan.
| | - Yung-Hui Huang
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Science, I-Shou University, No. 8, Yida Rd., Jiaosu Village, Yanchao District, Kaohsiung, 82445, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Hung Twan
- Department of Life Sciences, National Taitung University, No.369, Sec. 2, University Rd., Taitung, 95092, Taiwan
| | - Li-Ren Yeh
- Department of Anesthesiology, E-DA Cancer Hospital, I-Shou University, No.1, Yida Rd., Jiaosu Village, Yanchao District, Kaohsiung, 82445, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Ying Liu
- Department of Radiology, E-DA Hospital, I-Shou University, No.1, Yida Rd., Jiao-Su Village, Yan-Chao District, Kaohsiung, 82445, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Been Chen
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Science, I-Shou University, No. 8, Yida Rd., Jiaosu Village, Yanchao District, Kaohsiung, 82445, Taiwan.
- Institute of Statistics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, No. 1001, University Road, Hsinchu, 30010, Taiwan.
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Urhuț MC, Săndulescu LD, Streba CT, Mămuleanu M, Ciocâlteu A, Cazacu SM, Dănoiu S. Diagnostic Performance of an Artificial Intelligence Model Based on Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Patients with Liver Lesions: A Comparative Study with Clinicians. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:3387. [PMID: 37958282 PMCID: PMC10650544 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13213387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is widely used in the characterization of liver tumors; however, the evaluation of perfusion patterns using CEUS has a subjective character. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of an automated method based on CEUS for classifying liver lesions and to compare its performance with that of two experienced clinicians. The system used for automatic classification is based on artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. For an interpretation close to the clinical setting, both clinicians knew which patients were at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but only one was aware of all the clinical data. In total, 49 patients with 59 liver tumors were included. For the benign and malignant classification, the AI model outperformed both clinicians in terms of specificity (100% vs. 93.33%); still, the sensitivity was lower (74% vs. 93.18% vs. 90.91%). In the second stage of multiclass diagnosis, the automatic model achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 69.93% for HCC and 89.15% for liver metastases. Readers demonstrated greater diagnostic accuracy for HCC (83.05% and 79.66%) and liver metastases (94.92% and 96.61%) compared to the AI system; however, both were experienced sonographers. The AI model could potentially assist and guide less-experienced clinicians to discriminate malignant from benign liver tumors with high accuracy and specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marinela-Cristiana Urhuț
- Department of Gastroenterology, Emergency County Hospital of Craiova, Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania;
| | - Larisa Daniela Săndulescu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania; (C.T.S.); (A.C.); (S.M.C.)
| | - Costin Teodor Streba
- Department of Gastroenterology, Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania; (C.T.S.); (A.C.); (S.M.C.)
- Department of Pulmonology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
- Oncometrics S.R.L., 200677 Craiova, Romania;
| | - Mădălin Mămuleanu
- Oncometrics S.R.L., 200677 Craiova, Romania;
- Department of Automatic Control and Electronics, University of Craiova, 200585 Craiova, Romania
| | - Adriana Ciocâlteu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania; (C.T.S.); (A.C.); (S.M.C.)
| | - Sergiu Marian Cazacu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania; (C.T.S.); (A.C.); (S.M.C.)
| | - Suzana Dănoiu
- Department of Pathophysiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania;
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Campello CA, Castanha EB, Vilardo M, Staziaki PV, Francisco MZ, Mohajer B, Watte G, Moraes FY, Hochhegger B, Altmayer S. Machine learning for malignant versus benign focal liver lesions on US and CEUS: a meta-analysis. Abdom Radiol (NY) 2023; 48:3114-3126. [PMID: 37365266 DOI: 10.1007/s00261-023-03984-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To perform a meta-analysis of the diagnostic performance of learning (ML) algorithms (conventional and deep learning algorithms) for the classification of malignant versus benign focal liver lesions (FLLs) on US and CEUS. METHODS Available databases were searched for relevant published studies through September 2022. Studies met eligibility criteria if they evaluate the diagnostic performance of ML for the classification of malignant and benign focal liver lesions on US and CEUS. The pooled per-lesion sensitivities and specificities for each modality with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS A total of 8 studies on US, 11 on CEUS, and 1 study evaluating both methods met the inclusion criteria with a total of 34,245 FLLs evaluated. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of ML for the malignancy classification of FLLs were 81.7% (95% CI, 77.2-85.4%) and 84.8% (95% CI, 76.0-90.8%) for US, compared to 87.1% (95% CI, 81.8-91.0%) and 87.0% (95% CI, 83.1-90.1%) for CEUS. In the subgroup analysis of studies that evaluated deep learning algorithms, the sensitivity and specificity of CEUS (n = 4) increased to 92.4% (95% CI, 88.5-95.0%) and 88.2% (95% CI, 81.1-92.9%). CONCLUSIONS The diagnostic performance of ML algorithms for the malignant classification of FLLs was high for both US and CEUS with overall similar sensitivity and specificity. The similar performance of US may be related to the higher prevalence of DL models in that group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alberto Campello
- School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, 2367 Quarenta e Nove St, Cuiabá, Brazil
| | - Everton Bruno Castanha
- School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, 538 Prof. Dr. Araújo St. Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Marina Vilardo
- School of Medicine, Universidade Catolica de Brasilia, QS 07, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Pedro V Staziaki
- Department of Radiology, University of Vermont Medical Center, 111 Colchester Ave, Burlington, USA
| | - Martina Zaguini Francisco
- Department of Radiology, Universidade Federal de Ciencias da Saude de Porto Alegre, 245 Sarmento Leite St, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Bahram Mohajer
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 N Caroline St, Baltimore, USA
| | - Guilherme Watte
- Department of Radiology, Universidade Federal de Ciencias da Saude de Porto Alegre, 245 Sarmento Leite St, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Fabio Ynoe Moraes
- Department of Oncology, Queen's University, 76 Stuart St, Kingston, Canada
| | - Bruno Hochhegger
- Department of Radiology, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, USA
| | - Stephan Altmayer
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Suite H1330, Stanford, USA.
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Vetter M, Waldner MJ, Zundler S, Klett D, Bocklitz T, Neurath MF, Adler W, Jesper D. Artificial intelligence for the classification of focal liver lesions in ultrasound - a systematic review. ULTRASCHALL IN DER MEDIZIN (STUTTGART, GERMANY : 1980) 2023; 44:395-407. [PMID: 37001563 DOI: 10.1055/a-2066-9372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Focal liver lesions are detected in about 15% of abdominal ultrasound examinations. The diagnosis of frequent benign lesions can be determined reliably based on the characteristic B-mode appearance of cysts, hemangiomas, or typical focal fatty changes. In the case of focal liver lesions which remain unclear on B-mode ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) increases diagnostic accuracy for the distinction between benign and malignant liver lesions. Artificial intelligence describes applications that try to emulate human intelligence, at least in subfields such as the classification of images. Since ultrasound is considered to be a particularly examiner-dependent technique, the application of artificial intelligence could be an interesting approach for an objective and accurate diagnosis. In this systematic review we analyzed how artificial intelligence can be used to classify the benign or malignant nature and entity of focal liver lesions on the basis of B-mode or CEUS data. In a structured search on Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and IEEE, we found 52 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Studies showed good diagnostic performance for both the classification as benign or malignant and the differentiation of individual tumor entities. The results could be improved by inclusion of clinical parameters and were comparable to those of experienced investigators in terms of diagnostic accuracy. However, due to the limited spectrum of lesions included in the studies and a lack of independent validation cohorts, the transfer of the results into clinical practice is limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Vetter
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, Erlangen University Hospital Department of Medicine 1 Gastroenterology Endocrinology and Pneumology, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Maximilian J Waldner
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, Erlangen University Hospital Department of Medicine 1 Gastroenterology Endocrinology and Pneumology, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Zundler
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, Erlangen University Hospital Department of Medicine 1 Gastroenterology Endocrinology and Pneumology, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Daniel Klett
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, Erlangen University Hospital Department of Medicine 1 Gastroenterology Endocrinology and Pneumology, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas Bocklitz
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Jena, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute of Photonic Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Markus F Neurath
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, Erlangen University Hospital Department of Medicine 1 Gastroenterology Endocrinology and Pneumology, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Werner Adler
- Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Daniel Jesper
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, Erlangen University Hospital Department of Medicine 1 Gastroenterology Endocrinology and Pneumology, Erlangen, Germany
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Tiyarattanachai T, Apiparakoon T, Chaichuen O, Sukcharoen S, Yimsawad S, Jangsirikul S, Chaikajornwat J, Siriwong N, Burana C, Siritaweechai N, Atipas K, Assawamasbunlue N, Tovichayathamrong P, Obcheuythed P, Somvanapanich P, Geratikornsupuk N, Anukulkarnkusol N, Sarakul P, Tanpowpong N, Pinjaroen N, Kerr SJ, Rerknimitr R, Marukatat S, Chaiteerakij R. Artificial intelligence assists operators in real-time detection of focal liver lesions during ultrasound: A randomized controlled study. Eur J Radiol 2023; 165:110932. [PMID: 37390663 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2023.110932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is crucial during surveillance by ultrasound. We previously developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system based on convolutional neural network for detection of focal liver lesions (FLLs) in ultrasound. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether the AI system can assist non-expert operators to detect FLLs in real-time, during ultrasound examinations. METHOD This single-center prospective randomized controlled study evaluated the AI system in assisting non-expert and expert operators. Patients with and without FLLs were enrolled and had ultrasound performed twice, with and without AI assistance. McNemar's test was used to compare paired FLL detection rates and false positives between groups with and without AI assistance. RESULTS 260 patients with 271 FLLs and 244 patients with 240 FLLs were enrolled into the groups of non-expert and expert operators, respectively. In non-experts, FLL detection rate in the AI assistance group was significantly higher than the no AI assistance group (36.9 % vs 21.4 %, p < 0.001). In experts, FLL detection rates were not significantly different between the groups with and without AI assistance (66.7 % vs 63.3 %, p = 0.32). False positive detection rates in the groups with and without AI assistance were not significantly different in both non-experts (14.2 % vs 9.2 %, p = 0.08) and experts (8.6 % vs 9.0 %, p = 0.85). CONCLUSIONS The AI system resulted in significant increase in detection of FLLs during ultrasound examinations by non-experts. Our findings may support future use of the AI system in resource-limited settings where ultrasound examinations are performed by non-experts. The study protocol was registered under the Thai Clinical Trial Registry (TCTR20201230003), which is part of the WHO ICTRP Registry Network. The registry can be accessed via the following URL: https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=TCTR20201230003.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Terapap Apiparakoon
- Center of Excellence for Innovation and Endoscopy in Gastrointestinal Oncology, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Oracha Chaichuen
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sasima Sukcharoen
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, The Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sirinda Yimsawad
- Center of Excellence for Innovation and Endoscopy in Gastrointestinal Oncology, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sureeporn Jangsirikul
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jukkaphop Chaikajornwat
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nanicha Siriwong
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chuti Burana
- Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Kawin Atipas
- Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | | | - Pochara Somvanapanich
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nopavut Geratikornsupuk
- Department of Medicine, Queen Savang Vadhana Memorial Hospital, The Thai Red Cross Society, Chonburi, Thailand
| | | | | | - Natthaporn Tanpowpong
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nutcha Pinjaroen
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Stephen J Kerr
- Biostatistics Excellence Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rungsun Rerknimitr
- Center of Excellence for Innovation and Endoscopy in Gastrointestinal Oncology, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sanparith Marukatat
- Image Processing and Understanding Team, Artificial Intelligence Research Group, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, Thailand
| | - Roongruedee Chaiteerakij
- Center of Excellence for Innovation and Endoscopy in Gastrointestinal Oncology, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Nishida N, Kudo M. Artificial intelligence models for the diagnosis and management of liver diseases. Ultrasonography 2023; 42:10-19. [PMID: 36443931 PMCID: PMC9816706 DOI: 10.14366/usg.22110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
With the development of more advanced methods for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the data required for medical care are becoming complex, and misinterpretation of information due to human error may result in serious consequences. Human error can be avoided with the support of artificial intelligence (AI). AI models trained with various medical data for diagnosis and management of liver diseases have been applied to hepatitis, fatty liver disease, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Some of these models have been reported to outperform human experts in terms of performance, indicating their potential for supporting clinical practice given their high-speed output. This paper summarizes the recent advances in AI for liver disease and introduces the AI-aided diagnosis of liver tumors using B-mode ultrasonography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoshi Nishida
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan,Correspondence to: Naoshi Nishida, MD, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan Tel. +81-72-366-0221 Fax. +81-72-367-8220 E-mail:
| | - Masatoshi Kudo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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Martinino A, Aloulou M, Chatterjee S, Scarano Pereira JP, Singhal S, Patel T, Kirchgesner TPE, Agnes S, Annunziata S, Treglia G, Giovinazzo F. Artificial Intelligence in the Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review. J Clin Med 2022; 11:6368. [PMID: 36362596 PMCID: PMC9655417 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11216368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma ranks fifth amongst the most common malignancies and is the third most common cause of cancer-related death globally. Artificial Intelligence is a rapidly growing field of interest. Following the PRISMA reporting guidelines, we conducted a systematic review to retrieve articles reporting the application of AI in HCC detection and characterization. A total of 27 articles were included and analyzed with our composite score for the evaluation of the quality of the publications. The contingency table reported a statistically significant constant improvement over the years of the total quality score (p = 0.004). Different AI methods have been adopted in the included articles correlated with 19 articles studying CT (41.30%), 20 studying US (43.47%), and 7 studying MRI (15.21%). No article has discussed the use of artificial intelligence in PET and X-ray technology. Our systematic approach has shown that previous works in HCC detection and characterization have assessed the comparability of conventional interpretation with machine learning using US, CT, and MRI. The distribution of the imaging techniques in our analysis reflects the usefulness and evolution of medical imaging for the diagnosis of HCC. Moreover, our results highlight an imminent need for data sharing in collaborative data repositories to minimize unnecessary repetition and wastage of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Surobhi Chatterjee
- Department of Internal Medicine, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow 226003, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | | | - Saurabh Singhal
- Department of HPB Surgery and Liver Transplantation, BLK-MAX Superspeciality Hospital, New Delhi 110005, Delhi, India
| | - Tapan Patel
- Department of Surgery, Baroda Medical College and SSG Hospital, Vadodara 390001, Gujarat, India
| | - Thomas Paul-Emile Kirchgesner
- Département of Radiology and Medical Imaging, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Salvatore Agnes
- General Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Annunziata
- Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Radiotherapy and Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Treglia
- Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Giovinazzo
- General Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
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