title: Radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors: quantitative assessment of tumor coverage through CT image processing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one of the most promising non-surgical treatments for hepatic tumors. The assessment of the therapeutic efficacy of RFA is usually obtained by visual comparison of pre- and post-treatment CT images, but no numerical quantification is performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this work, a novel method aiming at providing a more objective tool for the evaluation of RFA coverage is described. Image registration and segmentation techniques were applied to enable the visualization of the tumor and the corresponding post-RFA necrosis in the same framework. In addition, a set of numerical indexes describing tumor/necrosis overlap and their mutual position were computed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After validation of segmentation step, the method was applied on a dataset composed by 10 tumors, suspected not to be completed treated. Numerical indexes showed that only two tumors were totally treated and the percentage of a residual tumor was in the range of 5.12%-35.92%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work represents a first attempt to obtain a quantitative tool aimed to assess the accuracy of RFA treatment. The possibility to visualize the tumor and the correspondent post-RFA necrosis in the same framework and the definition of some synthetic numerical indexes could help clinicians in ameliorating RFA treatment.
authors: Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri – IRCCS, Bergamo, Italy.
authors: Katia
authors: K
authors: Passera
authors: Sabrina
authors: S
authors: Selvaggi
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Scaramuzza
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Garbagnati
authors: Daniele
authors: D
authors: Vergnaghi
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Mainardi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome