Enhancing Radiotherapy Workflow for Head and Neck Cancer with Artificial Intelligence: A Systematic Review

J Pers Med. 2023 Jun 2;13(6):946. doi: 10.3390/jpm13060946.

Abstract

Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is characterized by complex-shaped tumors and numerous organs at risk (OARs), inducing challenging radiotherapy (RT) planning, optimization, and delivery. In this review, we provided a thorough description of the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the HNC RT process.

Methods: The PubMed database was queried, and a total of 168 articles (2016-2022) were screened by a group of experts in radiation oncology. The group selected 62 articles, which were subdivided into three categories, representing the whole RT workflow: (i) target and OAR contouring, (ii) planning, and (iii) delivery.

Results: The majority of the selected studies focused on the OARs segmentation process. Overall, the performance of AI models was evaluated using standard metrics, while limited research was found on how the introduction of AI could impact clinical outcomes. Additionally, papers usually lacked information about the confidence level associated with the predictions made by the AI models.

Conclusions: AI represents a promising tool to automate the RT workflow for the complex field of HNC treatment. To ensure that the development of AI technologies in RT is effectively aligned with clinical needs, we suggest conducting future studies within interdisciplinary groups, including clinicians and computer scientists.

Keywords: artificial intelligence (AI); automation; deep learning (DL); head and neck cancer (HNC); machine learning (ML); radiotherapy (RT).

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

D.D., N.L., D.L. and P.M. are supported by Ministero della Salute (Rome, IT), grant number GR-2019-12370739. C.F. and M.S. are supported by Fondi 5 × 1000 RadiomicART, KCM022-02.