Publication Name	World Journal of Gastroenterology
Manuscript ID	119599
DOI	10.3748/wjg.119599
Country	Italy

Category	Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Manuscript Type	Opinion Review
Article Title	Habitat imaging before transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma: ready for clinical decision-making?
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Luca Toti, Renato Argirò and Roberta Angelico
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Luca Toti, Assistant Professor, MD, PhD, HPB and Transplant Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford, 81, Rome 00133, Italy. toti@med.uniroma2.it
Key Words	Hepatocellular carcinoma; Transarterial chemoembolization; Magnetic resonance imaging; Habitat imaging; Intratumoral heterogeneity; Precision medicine
Core Tip	Habitat imaging offers a different way of reading magnetic resonance imaging in hepatocellular carcinoma, moving beyond simple lesion description and trying to capture the tumor’s internal spatial heterogeneity. Its value lies not only in the possibility of predicting response after transarterial chemoembolization, but also in helping clinicians think more carefully about pretreatment selection and multidisciplinary treatment planning. At present, however, this approach is still constrained by important limitations, including methodological fragility, poor standardization, and the lack of solid prospective validation. The key issue is no longer whether habitat imaging is conceptually attractive, but whether it is robust enough to become genuinely useful in clinical practice.
Citation	Toti L, Argirò R, Angelico R. Habitat imaging before transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma: Ready for clinical decision-making? World J Gastroenterol 2026; In press DOI: https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.119599
PDF	119599-in-press.pdf

Received	2026-02-14 02:29
Peer-Review Started	2026-02-14 02:30
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-02-28 09:31
Return for Revision	2026-02-28 09:31
Revised	2026-03-01 14:59
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-06-22 02:38
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-06-22 06:36
Articles in Press	2026-06-22 06:36
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1007-9327 (print) and 2219-2840 (online)
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