The ESOR Course on Imaging Biomarkers is back due to popular demand and is for the second time taking place in Vienna, on the eve of the European Congress of Radiology (ECR). The aim is to familiarise fourth and fifth year radiology residents and board certified radiologists with cutting-edge clinical imaging technology. The one-day course addresses the definition and development of biomarkers, the standardisation and validation of imaging biomarkers, and the field of parametrics. It will also cover diffusion-weighted and perfusion-weighted imaging biomarkers in research, and their introduction into clinical use, as well as measurements and biases in imaging biomarker evaluation.

A unique group of European faculty members, well-known for their experience in novel imaging biomarkers, will offer top quality didactic lectures followed by clinical impact discussions in small groups.

Learning objectives

• To understand the principles of biomarkers and the need to standardise
   image acquisition, processing and modelling
• To identify the different biomarkers that are used in research and clinical areas
• To recognise how diffusion-weighted and perfusion-weighted image acquisitions
   influence measurements
• To differentiate the biases that may influence results

The learning objectives of each lecture can be found further down.

Programme  
Learning objectives of each lecture

• to understand the meaning of biomarkers and imaging biomarkers in modern medicine
• to describe the main steps that should be checked in the process of developing and
   evaluating an imaging biomarker
• to evaluate how imaging biomarkers may change the way disease evaluation
   (early diagnosis, grading, treatment response) is done

Imaging Biomarkers: standardisation and validation

• to understand the need for standardise image acquisition, processing and modelling
• to evaluate the importance of the different measurement methods (voxels, regions,
   histograms)
• to show how experimental and clinical validations must be performed and evaluated

Parametric Imaging Biomarkers in Research/Clinical Use

• to know the different biomarkers that are used in clinical and research areas
• to demonstrate how imaging biomarkers may be implemented in clinical practice
• to show the main problems that this implementation has to take into consideration

Diffusion Weighted Imaging Biomarkers in Research/Clinical Use

• to show how DWI acquisitions influence the measurements
• to evaluate how measurements must be obtained (signal decay, IVIM)
• to demonstrate the biological basis of the different measures

Perfusion Imaging Biomarkers in Research/Clinical Use

• to show how PWI acquisitions influence the measurements
• to evaluate how measurements must be obtained with the different models
• to demonstrate the biological basis of the different measures

Measurements and Biases in Imaging Biomarkers evaluation

• to know the different biases that may influence results
• to demonstrate which are the main bases of measurements variability
• to show the main problems related to single and multicentre comparisons

Clinical Impact discussion

• Examples for clinical use
• How to build a successful clinical biomarker