Latest Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Nuclear Medicine, Medical Physics and Imaging research

Top 10 this week

Week of 20 September 2026

1. 1

   Radiation Therapy for Bladder Cancer: An ASTRO Clinical Practice Guideline

   Practical radiation oncology · Q1 journal · Guideline · Evidence level 1 (High) · 15 September 2026

   The ASTRO guideline recommends trimodal chemoradiation, with concurrent radiosensitizing agents, as an alternative to radical cystectomy for patients with cT2-4aN0M0 bladder cancer, especially when systemic therapy is added for higher-risk disease. It also advises postoperative radiation for ypT3-4 or node-positive cases and palliative bladder RT for symptomatic metastases, emphasizing multidisciplinary evaluation and modern image-guided techniques.

2. 2

   Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging in minimally invasive liver resection for colorectal liver metastases: lesion detection and surgical outcomes-a systematic review and meta-analysis

   Surgical endoscopy · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 17 September 2026

   In minimally invasive liver surgery for colorectal metastases, pooled data show about 93% of lesions and 92% of patients achieve clear margins, with major complications in roughly 6% of cases. A single retrospective comparison suggested ICG use may boost margin-negative resections fivefold, but overall evidence is limited and randomized trials are needed.

3. 3

   Quality of Life and Toxicities Following Whole-Palm Versus Involved-Field Radiation Therapy for Dupuytren's Disease: A Substudy From a Randomized Trial

   Advances in radiation oncology · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 11 September 2026

   In 202 hands treated for early Dupuytren's disease, low-dose radiation delivered to the whole palm or only the involved area produced comparable pain scores and disability ratings through 36 months, and no severe toxicity occurred. Acute reactions were modestly more common with whole-palm treatment, while lasting side effects were rare and limited to under 5% reduced sweating.

4. 4

   Low-Dose Radiation Therapy (LDRT) for Osteoarthritis: A Retrospective Study of 94 Patients and 136 Joints Treated

   Advances in radiation oncology · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 21 May 2026

   In a retrospective series of 94 older adults (average age 74) treated on 136 joints, six fractions of 0.5 Gy lowered the average pain score from 7.3 to 2.6 on a 0-10 scale. Nearly four-fifths achieved a clinically meaningful improvement, regardless of age, sex or joint size, suggesting a safe, non-invasive option pending confirmatory trials.

5. 5

   Comparative efficacy of endovascular interventions for femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

   European journal of radiology · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 9 September 2026

   In six randomized trials of 475 patients, drug-coated balloon angioplasty lowered the need for target-lesion revascularization at one year by roughly four-fifths compared with standard balloon angioplasty, and also reduced recurrent restenosis at six months. Other strategies such as laser atherectomy with a drug-coated balloon showed promise but are based on limited data, and mortality was similar across treatments within the short-term follow-up.

6. 6

   Robot-assisted versus freehand cannulated-screw fixation for femoral neck fractures: a systematic review of technical, clinical and adoption outcomes

   Journal of robotic surgery · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 15 September 2026

   Robot‑assisted fixation shows technical advantages over freehand

7. 7

   Minocycline for neuroprotection in stroke and cerebral ischemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

   Neuroradiology · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 16 September 2026

   Minocycline meta‑analysis for stroke

8. 8

   Short-term versus long-course neoadjuvant chemotherapy for resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PACT-21 CASSANDRA): results from the second randomisation analysis of a randomised, open-label, 2 × 2 factorial phase 3 trial

   EClinicalMedicine · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 5 September 2026

   In the PACT-21/CASSANDRA trial, 86 patients receiving two extra months of chemotherapy before surgery and 79 receiving it after surgery had identical event-free survival (hazard ratio about 1). However, the longer regimen yielded higher CA19-9 response, a 5% complete pathological response rate and more N0 resections. Overall survival data are pending, underscoring the need for more effective neoadjuvant strategies.

9. 9

   Efficacy and safety of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) versus alemtuzumab in multiple sclerosis: Systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis

   Multiple sclerosis and related disorders · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 9 September 2026

   AHSCT vs alemtuzumab MS review, no imaging focus

10. 10

    Longitudinal Prediction of Retinal Sensitivity Based on Disease Progression Quantified From Optical Coherence Tomography in Geographic Atrophy

    Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 1 September 2026

    In a longitudinal analysis of 406 patients with geographic atrophy, each micrometer reduction in OCT-measured ellipsoid zone thickness was linked to a 0.1 decibel decline in microperimetry sensitivity, while thicker baseline zones correlated with better function (0.3 dB per µm). The study shows automated OCT metrics can forecast functional loss, but validation in larger cohorts is needed.

Paper of the day, last two weeks

• Efficacy and safety of omitting the clinical target volume in limited-stage small cell lung cancer: a large-scale multicenter real-world study

  Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 19 September 2026

  In a propensity-matched analysis of 530 patients, omitting the clinical target volume did not change response rates, progression-free or overall survival, but reduced grade 3 or higher radiation pneumonitis from 8.3% to 3.4% and severe esophagitis from 9.1% to 5.7%. The benefit was especially pronounced in those receiving immunotherapy, suggesting a safer radiotherapy approach that merits prospective testing.

• Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for oligometastatic breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis (SABRINA)

  Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 20 September 2026

  In a meta-analysis of 1,577 patients, stereotactic ablative radiotherapy gave 92% local control at one year and 91% overall survival at two years for newly diagnosed oligometastatic disease, versus only 66% survival for oligoprogressive cases. Toxicity was rare (about 1.5% grade 3+ events), but randomized data are still inconclusive, underscoring the need for trials that separate these disease states.

• Early adverse events and patient-reported outcomes after salvage radiotherapy following prostatectomy according to fractionation schedule: Interim analysis of the phase III URONCOR 06-24 trial

  Clinical and translational radiation oncology · Q1 journal · Non-randomized trial · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 30 August 2026

  In the first 250 men treated after prostatectomy, grade 2 or higher genitourinary side effects occurred in 22% with moderate hypofractionation versus 17% with conventional schedules, while gastrointestinal toxicity was 11% versus 4% and patient-reported outcomes were unchanged. The early safety profile appears comparable, but longer follow-up and adjustment for treatment-selection bias are still needed.

• Diagnostic performance of AI-powered prostate MRI against biopsy ground truth: quasi-continuous risk scoring versus fixed PI-RADS thresholds

  Cancer imaging : the official publication of the International Cancer Imaging Society · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 15 September 2026

  In 122 patients, the AI algorithm's continuous Level-of-Suspicion score identified clinically significant prostate cancer with the same 94.7% sensitivity as the standard PI-RADS at least 4 threshold, but improved specificity from 63% to about 71%. Calibration was good and internal validation modestly reduced performance, but the difference did not reach statistical significance, so larger prospective studies are needed before routine adoption.

• Effect of demographic characteristics on the outcome of prostate cancer salvage radiotherapy: Analysis from a randomized controlled trial

  Cancer · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 15 September 2026

  In a randomized trial of post-prostatectomy patients, African American men achieved a 72.8% failure-free survival rate versus 58.7% in men of other races, despite lower socioeconomic status and greater metabolic stress. The advantage persisted across conventional and fluciclovine-guided imaging arms, suggesting race-related factors may influence radiotherapy response, though reasons remain unclear.

• Development and evaluation of a deep learning model for computer-aided diagnosis of neonatal pneumothorax on chest radiographs

  Pediatric radiology · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 12 September 2026

  Deep‑learning model for neonatal pneumothorax detection on chest X‑ray

• Safety and Biomarker Analysis of NRG-LU004: Phase I Trial of Accelerated or Conventionally Fractionated Radiotherapy Combined With Durvalumab in PD-L1 High Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

  International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics · Q1 journal · Phase 1 trial · Evidence level 4 (Very Low) · 12 September 2026

  In a phase I trial of 24 PD-L1 high locally advanced NSCLC patients, concurrent durvalumab and either accelerated (60 Gy/15 fractions) or standard (60 Gy/30 fractions) thoracic radiotherapy caused a single dose-limiting toxicity, meeting safety criteria. Feasibility was met in most patients, and blood profiling suggested immune changes, supporting a chemotherapy-free approach while highlighting the need for larger efficacy studies.

• Deep learning-based CT model for non-invasive prediction of tertiary lymphoid structures in pancreatic cancer: a multicenter study with prospective validation in an immunochemotherapy cohort

  Journal for immunotherapy of cancer · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 12 September 2026

  A deep-learning ResNet50 algorithm applied to pre-operative contrast CT accurately identified tertiary lymphoid structures, achieving AUCs up to 0.99 in development and 0.93 in external validation. In a prospective immunochemotherapy cohort, patients flagged as TLS-positive by the model had a 90% objective response rate versus 26.5% in others, and markedly longer survival. The tool offers a non-invasive, PD-L1-independent biomarker for selecting pancreatic cancer patients likely to benefit from immunotherapy.

• OPEN: optimising patient experience in head and neck radiotherapy, a phase 3 randomised control trial comparing open versus closed face masks

  Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 12 September 2026

  In a phase-3 trial of 230 patients, open-face immobilisation combined with surface-guided radiotherapy gave patients significantly better tolerability and lower distress scores than standard closed masks, yet showed no loss of positioning precision except a small reduction in longitudinal motion. The findings support adopting open masks as a patient-centred alternative, pending broader implementation data.

• Whole-pelvic Versus Prostate-only Radiotherapy in Clinically Node-negative High-Risk Localised Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis with Reconstructed Individual-patient Data

  Clinical oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain)) · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 22 August 2026

  A meta-analysis of five phase-III trials (5,172 men) found that elective whole-pelvic radiotherapy gave no overall-survival advantage compared with prostate-only treatment, and any apparent gains in biochemical or metastasis-free survival vanished when a single PSMA-staged trial was removed. The approach modestly raised late grade 2 or higher urinary and gastrointestinal side effects, leaving routine pelvic irradiation unsupported pending prospective validation.

• Development and Crossover Evaluation of an Artificial Intelligence-Assisted System for Solid Pancreatic Lesion Detection and Pancreatic Parenchyma Recognition in Endoscopic Ultrasonography (With Video)

  Digestive endoscopy : official journal of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 1 September 2026

  In a six-center crossover study, an AI overlay raised novice endosonographers' sensitivity for solid pancreatic lesions from 77% to nearly 89% without sacrificing specificity. Accuracy also improved, while experts maintained performance and gained modest specificity gains. The tool shows promise as an adjunct for training, but larger trials are needed to confirm clinical impact.

• Interval Invasive Cancers in Population Screening: A Meta-analysis of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis vs. Digital Mammography

  Academic radiology · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 10 September 2026

  A meta-analysis of 13 population-based studies covering more than 1.4 million screens found no meaningful difference in the number of invasive cancers diagnosed between screenings with digital breast tomosynthesis and standard digital mammography. The result held true for both annual and longer-interval programs, suggesting the newer technique does not reduce aggressive or occult cancers. Further research is needed to identify subgroups that might benefit.

• Development and Validation of a Convolutional Neural Network Framework Based on Ultrasound Imaging for Multi-Classification of Superficial Soft Tissue Masses

  Academic radiology · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 7 September 2026

  In a multi-center study of 3,168 patients, the ST-USNet deep-learning system distinguished malignant from benign superficial soft-tissue lesions with an area under the curve of 0.984 and outperformed senior radiologists in a reader test. The model also accurately subtyped sarcoma, lymphoma and metastases, but prospective validation is still needed.

• Ai-assisted compressed sensing with deep learning reconstruction for accelerated rectal MRI: A prospective intra-individual study of image quality and preoperative staging

  European journal of radiology · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 25 August 2026

  In 107 patients, AI-assisted compressed-sensing MRI cut acquisition time by 50% and yielded higher subjective image quality than conventional parallel imaging. The high-strength deep-learning reconstruction (ACS-H) boosted accuracy of T-stage and mesorectal fascia assessment and raised EMVI detection, while nodal staging was unchanged. Larger studies are needed to confirm these gains before routine adoption.

Evidence summaries in Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Nuclear Medicine, Medical Physics and Imaging

• Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Radiology)
• CT Pulmonary Angiography for Pulmonary Embolism