The use of artificial intelligence in stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is transforming the landscape of liver cancer treatment. SABR has emerged as a promising treatment option for patients with localized HCC, offering high local contro...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Atsuto Katano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1576494/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850232306547032064
author Atsuto Katano
author_facet Atsuto Katano
author_sort Atsuto Katano
collection DOAJ
description The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is transforming the landscape of liver cancer treatment. SABR has emerged as a promising treatment option for patients with localized HCC, offering high local control rates and favorable toxicity profiles. As evidence supporting SABR's clinical efficacy continues to grow, AI technologies are accelerating its adoption by enhancing precision, efficiency, and individualization of care. This review summarizes recent advances in AI applications across the SABR workflow, including automated contouring, knowledge-based planning, fluence prediction via deep learning, respiratory motion modeling, liver function estimation, and prognostic modeling. Clinical studies have demonstrated notable benefits, such as a reduction in contouring time and improved dosimetric quality using machine learning–based optimization algorithms. However, critical limitations persist. Many AI models are trained on limited datasets without external validation, raising concerns about overfitting and generalizability. Future efforts should focus on improving model transparency, confirming their reliability across different institutions, and ensuring ethical use in real-world clinical practice.
format Article
id doaj-art-b2c7aadfb0f34b1ea8f4c88750d9fd49
institution OA Journals
issn 2296-858X
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Medicine
spelling doaj-art-b2c7aadfb0f34b1ea8f4c88750d9fd492025-08-20T02:03:14ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2025-06-011210.3389/fmed.2025.15764941576494The use of artificial intelligence in stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinomaAtsuto KatanoThe integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is transforming the landscape of liver cancer treatment. SABR has emerged as a promising treatment option for patients with localized HCC, offering high local control rates and favorable toxicity profiles. As evidence supporting SABR's clinical efficacy continues to grow, AI technologies are accelerating its adoption by enhancing precision, efficiency, and individualization of care. This review summarizes recent advances in AI applications across the SABR workflow, including automated contouring, knowledge-based planning, fluence prediction via deep learning, respiratory motion modeling, liver function estimation, and prognostic modeling. Clinical studies have demonstrated notable benefits, such as a reduction in contouring time and improved dosimetric quality using machine learning–based optimization algorithms. However, critical limitations persist. Many AI models are trained on limited datasets without external validation, raising concerns about overfitting and generalizability. Future efforts should focus on improving model transparency, confirming their reliability across different institutions, and ensuring ethical use in real-world clinical practice.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1576494/fullartificial intelligencestereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR)hepatocellular carcinomaradiotherapytreatment planning
spellingShingle Atsuto Katano
The use of artificial intelligence in stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
Frontiers in Medicine
artificial intelligence
stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR)
hepatocellular carcinoma
radiotherapy
treatment planning
title The use of artificial intelligence in stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
title_full The use of artificial intelligence in stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
title_fullStr The use of artificial intelligence in stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
title_full_unstemmed The use of artificial intelligence in stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
title_short The use of artificial intelligence in stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
title_sort use of artificial intelligence in stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
topic artificial intelligence
stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR)
hepatocellular carcinoma
radiotherapy
treatment planning
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1576494/full
work_keys_str_mv AT atsutokatano theuseofartificialintelligenceinstereotacticablativebodyradiotherapyforhepatocellularcarcinoma
AT atsutokatano useofartificialintelligenceinstereotacticablativebodyradiotherapyforhepatocellularcarcinoma