LI-RADS version 2018 treatment response algorithm on extracellular contrast-enhanced MRI in patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: diagnostic performance and the added value of ancillary features.

BACKGROUND

The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) Treatment Response Algorithm (TRA) (LI-RADS TRA) is used for assessing response of HCC to locoregional therapy (LRT), however, the value of ancillary features (AFs) for TACE-treated HCCs has not been extensively investigated on extracellular agent MRI (ECA-MRI).

PURPOSE

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of LI-RADS v2018 TRA on ECA-MRI for HCC treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and the value of ancillary features.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients who underwent TACE for HCC and then followed by hepatic surgery between January 2019 and June 2023 with both pre- and post-TACE contrast-enhanced MRI available. Two radiologists independently evaluated the post-treated lesions on MRI using LI-RADS treatment response (TR) (LR-TR) algorithm and modified LR-TR (mLR-TR) algorithm in which ancillary features (restricted diffusion and intermediate T2-weighted hyperintensity) were added, respectively. Lesions were categorized as complete pathologic necrosis (100%, CPN) and non-complete pathologic necrosis (< 100%, non-CPN) on the basis of surgical pathology. The diagnostic performance in predicting viable and non-viable tumors based on LR-TR and mLR-TR algorithms was compared using the McNemar test. Interreader agreement was calculated by using Cohen's weighted and unweighted κ.

RESULTS

A total of 61 patients [mean age 59 years ± 10 (standard deviation); 47 men] with 79 lesions (57 pathologically viable) were included. For non-CPN prediction, the sensitivity, specificity of LR-TR viable and mLR-TR viable category were 75% (43 of 57), 82% (18 of 22) and 88% (50 of 57), 77% (17 of 22), respectively, the sensitivity of mLR-TR was significantly higher than that of LR-TR (P = 0.016) without difference in specificity (P = 1.000). Interreader agreement for LR-TR and mLR-TR category was moderate (k = 0.50, 95% confidence interval 0.33, 0.67, k = 0.42, 95% confidence interval 0.20, 0.63). The sensitivity of both LR-TR and mLR-TR algorithms in predicting viable tumors between conventional TACE (cTACE) and drug-eluting beads TACE (DEB-TACE) did not have significant difference (cTACE: 76%, 89% vs. DEB-TACE: 73%, 82%).

CONCLUSIONS

On ECA-MRI, applying ancillary features to LI-RADS v2018 TRA can improve the sensitivity in predicting pathologic tumor viability in patients treated with TACE for hepatocellular carcinoma with no significant difference in specificity.