CT/MRI LI-RADS 2024 Update: Treatment Response Assessment

Radiology. 2024 Nov;313(2):e232408. doi: 10.1148/radiol.232408.

Abstract

With the rising incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, there has been increasing use of local-regional therapy (LRT) to downstage or bridge to transplant, for definitive treatment, and for palliation. The CT/MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) Treatment Response Assessment (TRA) algorithm provides guidance for step-by-step tumor assessment after LRT and standardized reporting. Current evidence suggests that the algorithm performs well in the assessment of tumor response to arterial embolic and loco-ablative therapies and fair when assessing response to radiation-based therapies, with limited data to validate the latter. Both evidence-based and expert-based refinements of the algorithm are needed to improve its diagnostic accuracy after varying types of LRT. This review provides an overview of the challenges and limitations of the LI-RADS TRA algorithm version 2017 and discusses the refinements introduced in the updated 2024 LI-RADS algorithm for CT/MRI.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / therapy
  • Humans
  • Liver / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging* / methods
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed* / methods
  • Treatment Outcome