Tuesday 24 / December / 2024
MUSCAT: A recent study by Sultan Qaboos University scholar Fatma Nasser Al Shohoumi, recipient of the National Research Award in the Information and Communication Technology field in the Young Researcher’s category, sheds light on the crucial need for early evaluation of colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) to determine treatment options, significantly impacting patient survival rates and outcomes.
Titled ‘A review of radiomics in predicting therapeutic response in colorectal liver metastases: From traditional to artificial intelligence techniques,’ the study, conducted by principal investigator Fatma, a Ph.D. student and IT instructor at the Centre for Preparatory Studies (CPS), Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), underscores the potential of radiomics in enhancing clinical decision-making.
The research team, recognised for their innovative work at the 10th National Research Award organised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, included Abdullah Al Hamadani, Abdulrahman Al Abdulsalam, Adhari Abdullah Al Zaabi, and Rachid Hedjam.
Elaborating on her study, Fatma said, “Radiomics, encompassing quantitative imaging features, has gained popularity in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. However, it faces challenges and limitations. This study addresses these limitations by reviewing studies that employed radiomics to predict therapeutic response in CRCLM.”
The study identifies instability in radiomics quantification due to variations in CT scan parameters, lesion segmentation methods, feature extraction techniques, and dataset sizes. Consequently, the study advocates combining radiomics with deep learning to enhance prediction accuracy.
The research indicates that radiomics holds promise in predicting chemotherapy effectiveness, playing a significant role in identifying patients responsive to various treatment options. While radiomics has been confirmed as crucial for determining therapeutic response to chemotherapy, the study accentuates its limitations in accurately predicting responses in colorectal liver metastases cases.
To harness radiomics’ potential, the study suggests integrating multiple data sources through deep learning techniques. By combining radiomics with additional clinical information, the research enables correlation analyses with clinical outcomes, offering a range of imaging biomarkers for purposes such as diagnosis, detection, prognostic evaluation, treatment response prediction, and disease progression monitoring.
Published in the journal Healthcare, Fatma was honoured with the National Research Award. She said, “This award recognises not only the hard work, dedication, and expertise I have devoted to my field of study but also my contribution to the advancement of knowledge and understanding. Winning such a prestigious award signifies that my research has made a significant impact in the broader society as well as within academia. It serves as a testament to the relevance and importance of my work.”
Acknowledging the responsibility that accompanies the award, Fatma hoped that it inspires her to pursue rigorous and innovative research in the future, emphasising the potential of research to make a positive difference in the world.
