Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41586944›Full record

ArticleInsights into imaging2026

Deep learning in differentiating the colorectal cancer combined with hepatic enhancing nodules: liver metastases vs hemangiomas.

Shenglin Li, Shanshan Zhang, Yuebo Wang, Ting Lu, Xinmei Yang, Jialiang Ren, Zhimei Jiao, Yaqiong Ma, Yuan Xu, Yufeng Li and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Insights into imaging, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Shenglin Li *Department of Radiology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Shanshan Zhang *Department of Evidence-Based Medicine and Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China.
Yuebo Wang *Department of Radiology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Ting Lu *Department of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Xinmei YangDepartment of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Jialiang RenDepartment of Pharmaceuticals Diagnostics, GE HealthCare, Beijing, China.
Zhimei JiaoDepartment of Medical Imaging, Zhangye People's Hospital Affiliated to Hexi University, Zhangye, China.
Yaqiong MaDepartment of Radiology, Gansu Province Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Yuan XuDepartment of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Yufeng LiDepartment of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Long YuanDepartment of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Yu GuoDepartment of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Haisheng WangDepartment of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Fengyu ZhouDepartment of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Qianqian ChenDepartment of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Jianqiang LiuDepartment of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Junlin ZhouDepartment of Radiology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China. ery_zhoujl@lzu.edu.cn.
Guojin ZhangDepartment of Radiology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China. zhangguojin@med.uestc.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4325-6009

Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province 2025ZNSFSC1763Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital 24QNPY014
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo assess a deep learning (DL) model using portal-venous phase CT for discriminating colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLMs) and hemangiomas (HMs). MATERIALS AND

methodsColorectal cancer (CRC) patients diagnosed with CRLMs or HMs at two medical centers from January 2018 and April 2024 were retrospectively included. Lesions were automatically segmented using TotalSegmentator. DL models, DenseNet-201 and ResNet-152, were trained to classify CRLMs and HMs. Their performance, measured by AUC, was evaluated on validation and test sets. Subgroup analyses were conducted for lesions ≤ 10 mm (subcentimeter) and 10-30 mm. Radiologists' diagnostic performance with and without DL assistance was compared using a multi-reader multi-case analysis.

results534 CRLMs (134 CRC-patients; median, 60 years) and 262 HMs (154 CRC-patients; median, 62 years) were divided into the training, validation and test set. The Dice coefficients of TotalSegmentor for automatically segmenting subcentimeter and 10-30 mm lesions were 0.692 ± 0.099 and 0.861 ± 0.033, respectively (p < 0.01). ResNet-152 model achieved AUCs of 0.875 (95% CI: 0.838-0.912), 0.858 (95% CI: 0.781-0.935), 0.776 (95% CI: 0.703-0.848) for classifying CRLMs and HMs on the training, validation, and test sets, respectively. The AUCs for distinguishing between 10-30 mm CRLMs and HMs improved from 0.851 (95% CI: 0.821-0.880) to 0.879 (95% CI: 0.853-0.906) with DL assistance compared to without (p = 0.015). For subcentimeter CRLMs and HMs, the AUCs for the radiologists and the DL-assisted diagnosis were 0.742 (95% CI: 0.669-0.814) and 0.763 (95% CI: 0.681-0.845), respectively (p = 0.558).

conclusionDL can assist radiologists in distinguishing 10-30 mm CRLMs from HMs in CRC patients. The value of DL-assisted diagnosis is limited for subcentimetre CRLMs and HMs. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Dynamic detection of hypoenhancing liver lesions in patients with CRC is exceptionally challenging. The DL tool we have developed can assist in evaluating CRLMs and HMs. KEY POINTS: TotalSegmentator can perform automatic segmentation of CRLMs and HMs, but demonstrates poorer segmentation consistency for subcentimeter lesions. This DL model assists radiologists in distinguishing 10-30 mm CRLMs from HMs in CRC patients. Subcentimeter CRLMs and HMs can require further MRI scanning.

Indexed as

Colorectal cancerDeep learningHemangiomasLiver metastasisTomography (X-ray computed)

Identifiers

PMID41586944
PMCPMC12835484

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