Zuhir Bodalal

Netherlands Cancer Institute · Department of Medical Oncology

Purpose: Analyzing noninvasive longitudinal and multimodal data using artificial intelligence could potentially transform immunotherapy for cancer patients, paving the way towards precision medicine. Methods: In this study, we integrated pre- and on-treatment blood measurements, prescribed medications and CT-based volumes of organs from a large pan...

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the added benefit of body MRI (covering the chest, abdomen, and pelvis) to detect the primary tumour in patients with adenocarcinoma of unknown primary (ACUP) and a suspected abdominal malignancy in whom previous diagnostic work-up with CT and/or FDG-PET/CT did not yield a primary tumour diagnosis. Methods Thir...

Background Microsatellite instability (MSI) status is a strong predictor of response to immunotherapy of colorectal cancer. Radiogenomic approaches promise the ability to gain insight into the underlying tumor biology using non-invasive routine clinical images. This study investigates the association between tumor morphology and the status of MSI v...

Purpose In this systematic review and individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis, we analysed the diagnostic performance of [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT in detecting primary tumours in patients with CUP and evaluated whether the location of the predominant metastatic site influences the diagnostic performance. Methods A systematic literature search from Janua...

Background Integrating complementary diagnostic data sources promises enhanced robustness in the predictive performance of artificial intelligence (AI) models, a crucial requirement for future clinical validation/implementation. In this study, we investigate the potential value of integrating data from noninvasive diagnostic modalities, including c...

Purpose In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of routine blood markers, serum tumour markers and their combination in predicting RECIST-defined progression in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Methods We employed time-varying statistical models and machine...

Background The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) aims to provide a standardized approach to assess treatment response in solid tumors. However, discrepancies in the selection of measurable and target lesions among radiologists using these criteria pose a significant limitation to their reproducibility and accuracy. This study ai...

Purpose: To evaluate the potential of synthetic radiomic data generation in addressing data scarcity in radiomics/radiogenomics models. Methods: This study was conducted on a retrospectively collected cohort of 386 colorectal cancer patients (n=2570 lesions) for whom matched contrast-enhanced CT images and gene TP53 mutational status were availabl...

Simple Summary For patients with colorectal cancer with liver metastases, it is important to determine the genetic mutations (e.g., KRAS mutations) of the liver metastases. Around 35–45% of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) have a KRAS mutation, and genetic mutations are used in treatment planning and prognostication. The aim...

Objectives Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) is grounded on the assumption that target lesion selection is objective and representative of the change in total tumor burden (TTB) during therapy. A computer simulation model was designed to challenge this assumption, focusing on a particular aspect of subjectivity: target lesion se...

Purpose Pleural plaques (PPs) are morphologic manifestations of long-term asbestos exposure. The relationship between PP and lung function is not well understood, whereas the time-consuming nature of PP delineation to obtain volume impedes research. To automate the laborious task of delineation, we aimed to develop automatic artificial intelligence...

Simple Summary This systematic review evaluates the potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to predict tumor biology in primary squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). Fifty-eight articles were analyzed, examining the relationship between MRI parameters and biological features. Most studies focused on HPV status associations, re...

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a significant role in the routine imaging workflow, providing both anatomical and functional information. 19F MRI is an evolving imaging modality where instead of 1 h, 19F nuclei are excited. As the signal from endogenous 19F in the body is negligible, exogenous 19F signals obtained by 19F radiofrequency coils...

Background: Tumour hypoxia is a negative predictive and prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer typically assessed by invasive sampling methods, which suffer from many shortcomings. This retrospective proof-of-principle study explores the potential of MRI-derived imaging markers in predicting tumour hypoxia non-invasively in patients with colore...

Objectives In many countries, workers who developed asbestosis due to their occupation are eligible for government support. Based on the results of clinical examination, a team of pulmonologists determine the eligibility of patients to these programs. In this Dutch cohort study, we aim to demonstrate the potential role of an artificial intelligence...

Purpose To assess the role of radiomics in detection of high-risk (pT3-4) colon cancer and develop a combined model that combines both radiomics and CT staging of colon cancer. Methods We included 292 colon cancer patients who underwent pre-operative CT and primary surgical resection within 2 months. Three-dimensional segmentations and CT staging...

RECIST is grounded on the assumption that target lesion selection is objective and representative of the total tumor burden's response to therapy. A computer simulation model was designed to study target lesion selection's impact on response assessment. Readers' disagreement as a function of the total number of lesions, affected organs, and lesion...

Clinical trials serve as a barrier of entry for new interventions and treatments prior to implementation in routine clinical practice. At its essence, the primary role of a clinical trial is to monitor a patient longitudinally using the diagnostic disciplines (radiology, pathology and laboratory medicine) to assess clinical outcomes. As the diagnos...

Imaging plays an important role in many aspects of nodal colorectal cancer from diagnosis, staging, and treatment selection to fundamental research on the mechanisms driving lesion development. The range of modalities includes anatomical imaging such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and functional imaging with the deve...

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy in advanced cancer patients remains difficult to predict. Imaging is the only technique available that can non-invasively provide whole body information of a patient's response to treatment. We hypothesize that quantitative whole-body prognostic information can be extracted by leveraging artificial i...

With the ongoing advancements in imaging techniques, increasing volumes of anatomical and functional data are being generated as part of the routine clinical workflow. This surge of available imaging data coincides with increasing research in quantitative imaging, particularly in the domain of imaging features. An important and novel approach is ra...

Background Checkpoint inhibitors provided sustained clinical benefit to metastatic lung cancer patients. Nonetheless, prognostic markers in metastatic settings are still under research. Imaging offers distinctive advantages, providing whole-body information non-invasively, while routinely available in most clinics. We hypothesized that more prognos...

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) represent a broad family of rare tumours for which surgery with radiotherapy represents first-line treatment. Recently, neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy has been increasingly used in high-risk patients in an effort to reduce surgical morbidity and improve clinical outcomes. An adequate understanding of the efficacy of neoad...

Background Melanoma patients have shown sarcoid-like lesions as an immune-related adverse event to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Proper discrimination is essential for accurate treatment decision. Aim of the study is to distinguish granulomatous disease (GD) from pulmonary metastases (MET) and enlarged intrapulmonary lymph nodes (LN) in melanoma patient...

From diagnostics to prognosis to response prediction, new applications for radiomics are rapidly being developed. One of the fastest evolving branches involves linking imaging phenotypes to the tumor genetic profile, a field commonly referred to as “radiogenomics.” In this review, a general outline of radiogenomic literature concerning prominent mu...

For the treatment of metastatic renal cell cancer several strategies are used among which the mTOR inhibitor everolimus. As mTOR plays an important role in the immune system, e.g., by controlling the expression of the transcription factor FoxP3 thereby regulating regulatory T cells (Tregs), it plays a key role in the balance between tolerance and i...

Medical imaging is a vital part of the clinical decision-making process, especially in an oncological setting. Radiology has experienced a great wave of change, and the advent of quantitative imaging has provided a unique opportunity to analyse patient images objectively. Leveraging radiomics and deep learning, there is increased potential for syne...

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is considered one of the most serious complications in total joint arthroplasty (TJA). This study seeks to analyze the predictive value of preoperative and postoperative nutritional biomarkers for SSI in elective TJA. Methodology: Nutritional markers were gathered retrospectively utilizing patient's record...

To analyze the impact of the method of Gunshot Injury (GSI) (i.e. war injuries, stray bullets, and civilian fighting) on patient morbidity and mortality. An observational study. Biostatistics Department of Al-Jalaa Hospital in Benghazi, Libya, from January to December 2011. Patients' records were analyzed with the method of gunshot injury as a clas...

Introduction : Libya is a North African country classified under the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office. In response to the general paucity of literature regarding cancer in Libya, this study aims to analyze various risk factors for breast cancer among patients in Benghazi, Libya. Material and Methods : Using records from a major primary oncolog...

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major public health concern in Libya. In the light of the armed conflict in Libya that broke out on February 2011 and the subsequent instability, the rate and pattern of RTIs was studied. RTI patient data were gathered from Al-Jalaa hospital, the main trauma center in Benghazi, from 2010 to 2011. Various parameter...

Background: Total knee replacement (TKR) and total hip replacement (THR) are effective procedures for alleviating pain and improving hip and knee function. Literature has not covered the experience of developing countries with arthroplasty – especially in an unstable post-conflict setting. Methods: Patient records were obtained from a major surgica...

Stressful life events experienced by pregnant women may lead to adverse obstetric outcomes. This study in Benghazi compared the rates of preterm, low-birth-weight and caesarean-section births at Al-Jamhouria hospital in the months before and during the armed conflict in Libya in 2011. Data were collected on all women admitted to the delivery ward d...

Aim: To study the pattern of cancer incidence and determine the incidence rates in Eastern Libya (for the first time in a decade). Methods: A hospital-based registry of cancer patients was formed using records from the primary oncology center in eastern Libya - focusing on those diagnosed in the year 2012. Results: The most common malignancies...

Libya is a country with a low population, listed under the EMRO. Using registers and patient records from a major primary oncology clinic, data was gathered from Libyan cervical cancer patients and various parameters were studied across 9 years. Out of 4,090 female cancer cases during the study period, 1.8% were cervical cancer (n = 74). The averag...

To study the salient features of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Libya. Patients records were gathered at the primary oncology clinic in eastern Libya for the period of one calendar year (2012). Using this data, various parameters were analyzed and age-standardized incidence rates were determined using the direct method and the standard population. Duri...

We performed a comparative study between abdominal and vaginal hysterectomies using clinical data from Al-Jamhouria hospital (one of the largest maternity hospitals in Eastern Libya). Various parameters were taken into consideration: the rates of each type (and their subtypes); average age of patients; indications; causes; postoperative complicatio...

Background: Since independence, Libya has never experienced personal ownership of arms. That changed during the Libyan conflict where weapons became widespread in the society. As a result gunshot injuries became a concern for surgeons at our principal surgical hospital (Al-Jalaa). This study aims at analyzing the gunshot injuries that took place d...

This paper aims to observe and to study the trends of road traffic accidents (RTA's) for the past ten years in Benghazi-Libya. A retrospective analysis was done using the patient records of Al-Jalaa hospital (the main trauma center in Benghazi) from over 21,753 RTA cases. The annual data were compared to each other and changes of trends were observ...

Background: Road traffic accidents (RTA's) are among the leading causes of death in Libya. This paper aims to observe and to analyse the trends of neurological trauma caused by road traffic accidents (neuroRTA's) for the past ten years in Benghazi, Libya.