Radiomic assessment of oesophageal adenocarcinoma: a critical review of 18F-FDG PET/CT, PET/MRI and CT

OBJECTIVES: Radiomic models present an avenue to improve oesophageal adenocarcinoma assessment through quantitative medical image analysis. However, model selection is complicated by the abundance of available predictors and the uncertainty of their relevance and reproducibility. This analysis reviews recent research to facilitate precedent-based model selection for prospective validation studies. METHODS: This analysis reviews research on 18F-FDG PET/CT, PET/MRI and CT radiomics in oesophageal adenocarcinoma between 2016 and 2021. Model design, testing and reporting are evaluated according to the Transparent Reporting of a Multivariable Prediction Model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis (TRIPOD) score and Radiomics Quality Score (RQS). Key results and limitations are analysed to identify opportunities for future research in the area. RESULTS: Radiomic models of stage and therapeutic response demonstrated discriminative capacity, though clinical applications require greater sensitivity. Although radiomic models predict survival within institutions, generalisability is limited. Few radiomic features have been recommended independently by multiple studies. CONCLUSIONS: Future research must prioritise prospective validation of previously proposed models to further clinical translation. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13244-022-01245-0.