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Research advances in habitat analysis for the diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma
GUO Xiaoya  LEI Xiaoyan  WANG Zhongqian  FU Tianxu  LUO Shishi 

DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.05.031.


[Abstract] Primary liver cancer is the sixth most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) being the most prevalent pathological subtype, accounting for approximately 75% to 85% of cases. Intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) refers to the presence of genetic, functional, or metabolic diversity within a tumor, leading to unpredictable tumor behavior and significant variations in treatment response, thereby posing substantial challenges to precision diagnosis and treatment of HCC. Habitat analysis (HA), an emerging radiomics approach, partitions the tumor into distinct subregions with similar biological characteristics and constructs models based on these subregions. By enabling quantification and visualization of ITH, HA simulates the tumor microenvironment corresponding to different subregions, significantly enhancing model predictive performance and offering a novel tool for assessing tumor biological behavior and treatment response. This article systematically reviews the application of HA in HCC across various clinical scenarios, including differentiation grade prediction, microvascular pattern identification, early recurrence prediction, and transarterial chemoembolization combined with targeted therapy and immunotherapy. It highlights research hotspots, existing challenges, and provides directions for future studies to facilitate individualized treatment and effective prognostic management of HCC, thereby advancing precision clinical practice.
[Keywords] hepatocellular carcinoma；intratumoral heterogeneity；habitat analysis；radiomics；magnetic resonance imaging

GUO Xiaoya   LEI Xiaoyan   WANG Zhongqian   FU Tianxu   LUO Shishi*  

Department of Radiology, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University (Hainan General Hospital), Haikou 570311, China

Corresponding author: LUO S S, E-mail: 273497988@qq.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-12-23
Accepted  2026-04-10
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.05.031
DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.05.031.

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