Radiomics

A.Y. 2023/2024
6
Max ECTS
48
Overall hours
SSD
MED/04 MED/36
Language
English
Learning objectives
Learn the basis of radiobiology
Learn the fundamentals of the different imaging techniques
Learn how to select target lesions
Learn the use of different segmentation tools
Know the value of the different radiomic features
Know the role of radiotherapy in oncology, its work flow and mechanism of tumor control and normal tissue toxicity
Know the clinical applications of radiomics and radiogenomics and their methodological challenges
Expected learning outcomes
The student will know the basis of radiobiology
The student will know the fundamentals of the different imaging techniques
The student will be able to select target lesions
The student will be able to use of different segmentation tools
The student will know the value of the different radiomic features
The student will know the indications to radiotherapy, its work flow and the role of imaging
The student will be able to describe the clinical applications of radiomics and radiogenomics and their methodological challenges
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Course syllabus
1. Radiobiology

Interactions of ionising radiation with matter
Radiation effects on healthy and tumour tissue
Radiosensitivity and radioresistance of tissue

2. Imaging acquisition techniques

Principles of conventional radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, positron emission tomography and ultrasound:
- Form of energy involved
- Means of interaction (reflection, absorption, relaxation, etc.)
- Processes of data sampling and reconstruction
- Information contained in the images
- Key clinical applications

3. Oncological radiotherapy

Imaging for radiotherapy
Indications to radiotherapy in the most common solid tumors and hematological malignancies
Radiotherapy devices and modalities
Work flow in radiotherapy
Image guided radiotherapy
Tumour remission and normal tissue toxicity
Clinical research in oncology. How to write a scientific paper?
Radiomic applications in clinical Radiation Oncology
Journal club on clinical cases

4. Images are numbers

Diagnostic digital images: matrix, spatial resolution, contrast resolution
Image pre-processing
Imaging segmentation techniques
Filtering and processing of digital images in the spatial and frequency domains
Image statistics, texture and "features"

Structure of a DICOM Image file
PACS, HIS and RIS: meaning and characteristics

5. Radiomics and radiogenomics

Radiomic features extraction
Conventional and machine learning features selection and model development
Understanding model stability, robustness, bias and limits
Best practices for radiomics studies and scoring a radiomics study
Clinical applications
Treatment personalisation
Current challenges for application of radiomics in clinical practice

6. Basics of statistics for radiomics
How to set-up a robust radiomic study from a statistical perspective
How to recognize biases and how to mitigate their effect
Methods of statistical analysis

7. New frontiers in radiomics

Studies with phantoms
Dosomics
Deep learning for medical image analysis
Prerequisites for admission
No prior knowledge is required.
Teaching methods
The course is based on frontal lessons. Lectures could be held in presence and/or online (Microsoft Teams). Lectures will be accompanied by practicals, group work and time for reflection and collective discussion.
Teaching Resources
Radiomics and Radiogenomics: Technical Basis and Clinical Applications (Imaging in Medical Diagnosis and Therapy) 1st Edition
By Ruijiang Li, Lei Xing, Sandy Napel, Daniel L. Rubin
ISBN 9780815375852
Published June 28, 2019 by Chapman and Hall/CRC

The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging. 3rd Edition.
By: Jerrold T Bushberg, J Anthony Seibert, Edwin M Leidholdt jr, John M Boon.
ISBN 978-0-7817-8057-5
Published 2012 by LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
Assessment methods and Criteria
Oral examination on the items that have been described during classes.
MED/04 - EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
MED/36 - IMAGING AND RADIOTHERAPY
Lessons: 48 hours
Educational website(s)