Assessment of tumor heterogeneity: an emerging imaging tool for clinical practice?

Tumor spatial heterogeneity is an important prognostic factor, which may be reflected in medical images METHODS: Image texture analysis is an approach of quantifying heterogeneity that may not be appreciated by the naked eye. Different methods can be applied including statistical-, model-, and transform-based methods.

Early evidence suggests that texture analysis has the potential to augment diagnosis and characterization as well as improve tumor staging and therapy response assessment in oncological practice.