Clinical value of artificial intelligence in hepatocellular carcinoma: Current status and prospect

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most commonly diagnosed type of liver cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The early identification of HCC and effective treatments for it have been challenging. Due to the sufficient compensatory ability of early patients and its nonspecific symptoms, HCC is more likely to escape diagnosis in the incipient stage, during which patients can achieve a more satisfying overall survival if they undergo resection or liver transplantation. Patients at advanced stages can profit from radical therapies in a limited way. In order to improve the unfavorable prognosis of HCC, diagnostic ability and treatment efficiency must be improved. The past decade has seen rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, underlying its unique usefulness in almost every field, including that of medicine. Herein, we sought and reviewed studies that put emphasis on artificial intelligence and HCC.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Artificial intelligence; Diagnosis; Prognosis; Therapy; Genomic

Core Tip: We performed electronic searching in PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE. Artificial intelligence (AI) or in-depth learning and hepatocellular carcinoma were used as mesh terms. We found that AI showed favorable results in early diagnosis and treatment response prediction and prognosis estimation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The past decade has seen rapid advancements in AI, underlying its unique usefulness in almost every field, including that of medicine. Herein, we sought and reviewed studies, and we expect that AI will be an important complement to traditional diagnosis, treatment and prognosis estimation of hepatocellular carcinoma.