Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41595109›Full record

ReviewCancers2026

Radiomics for Predicting the Efficacy of Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Radiomics Quality Score Assessment.

Ruixin Zhang, Chengjie Zhang, Yi Liu, Zhiguo Gui, Anhong Zhang

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cancers, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Ruixin ZhangFirst Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China.ORCID 0000-0002-5355-2971
Chengjie ZhangFirst Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China.
Yi LiuSchool of Information and Communication Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China.
Zhiguo GuiState Key Laboratory of Extreme Environment Optoelectronic Dynamic Testing Technology and Instrument, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China.
Anhong ZhangDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 11605160
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) immunotherapy provides limited clinical benefits, partly due to the lack of reliable efficacy biomarkers. Radiomics, which non-invasively analyzes tumor heterogeneity, shows promising potential for predicting treatment outcomes.

methodsThe present study systematically evaluated the predictive performance and methodological quality of radiomics models for assessing immunotherapy efficacy in patients with HCC. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for studies published up to 21 June 2025, which developed CT- or MRI-based radiomics models to predict immunotherapy efficacy in HCC. Study quality was assessed using the radiomics quality score (RQS) and the METhodological RadiomICs Score (METRICS).

resultsA total of 11 studies were included and categorized by immunotherapy regimen: ICIs alone (1/11), ICIs combined with targeted therapy (6/11), and ICIs combined with targeted therapy plus locoregional therapy (4/11). The models primarily predicted treatment response (7/11), overall survival (OS) (4/11), or progression-free survival (PFS) (4/11). In the ICI monotherapy cohort, AUC values for predicting treatment response ranged from 0.705 to 0.772. In the ICI plus targeted therapy cohorts, AUC or concordance index (C-index) values for predicting the above efficacy endpoints were 0.792-0.956, 0.63-0.77, and 0.54-0.837, respectively. In the combination therapy cohorts incorporating locoregional treatment, predictive models showed AUC or C-index values of 0.721-0.92, 0.817-0.838, and 0.59. Quality assessment revealed a median RQS of 15 (range: 11-19) and a median METRICS of 72.5% (range: 56.0-79.5%) across all studies.

conclusionsCT/MRI-based radiomics uses routine imaging to non-invasively quantify whole-tumor phenotype and heterogeneity, enabling repeatable, longitudinal assessment in hepatocellular carcinoma. Evidence suggests that it can help to identify patients likely to benefit from immunotherapy before treatment. However, clinical implementation requires standardized imaging and analysis protocols, external validation, and transparent reporting.

Indexed as

hepatocellular carcinomaimmunotherapyradiomicsradiomics quality scoringsystematic reviewtreatment outcome

Identifiers

PMID41595109
PMCPMC12839198

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.