Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41545771›Full record

ReviewCardiovascular and interventional radiology2026

Survival and Surrogate Biomarkers in Interventional Oncology Trials: Pitfalls, Challenges, and Future Directions.

Ana P Gonzalez, Adam Swersky, Riad Salem

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cardiovascular and interventional radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Meta-Analysis: The Holy Grail?Cardiovascular and interventional radiology · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Ana P GonzalezDepartment of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 N. St. Clair, Suite 800, Chicago, IL, USA.
Adam SwerskyDepartment of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 N. St. Clair, Suite 800, Chicago, IL, USA.
Riad SalemDepartment of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 N. St. Clair, Suite 800, Chicago, IL, USA. rsalem1@nm.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9745-1825

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionInterventional oncology (IO) is a key component of multidisciplinary cancer care, delivering minimally invasive therapies with safety and efficacy comparable to or surpassing conventional approaches. As IO enters a transformative era, the field must continue demonstrating value within the greater world of oncology, particularly through the study and application of surrogate endpoints. SURROGATE ENDPOINT DEFINITIONS AND VALIDATION CRITERIA: A central requirement for advancing IO is the rigorous evaluation of treatment outcomes through translational research. Surrogate endpoints, including imaging-based criteria and serum biomarkers, expedite therapeutic assessment, yet their validity as predictors of clinical benefit remains under scrutiny. REGULATORY AND METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES: Experience from prior IO studies underscores the complex interplay between surrogate endpoints, overall survival, and quality of life metrics. Variable regulatory acceptance, incomplete validation, and inconsistencies in endpoint definition and reporting continue to challenge their adoption. PRIMARY LIVER TUMORS: In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), surrogate endpoints have informed treatment evaluation; however, their predictive strength and reproducibility remain variable across studies. SECONDARY LIVER MALIGNANCIES: Applications in metastatic liver disease similarly rely on imaging and serum-based surrogates, though performance and reliability remain heterogeneous. LIMITATIONS: Uncertainty persists regarding the ability of surrogate endpoints to reliably predict durable clinical outcomes, limiting their broader applicability. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: Advancing IO will require the integration of modern trial methodologies, synthetic control arms, radiomics, and artificial intelligence to strengthen surrogate endpoint validation and facilitate broader clinical and regulatory acceptance.

conclusionsBy embracing its characteristically innovative spirit while maintaining a critical lens on data interpretation, the IO community can not only advance therapeutic development but also reinforce its indispensability in oncology. The beginning of a new quarter century brings a pivotal juncture, with an opportunity to reimagine IO's trajectory bridging technical ingenuity with the nuanced demands of modern cancer care.

Indexed as

Clinical Trials as TopicMedical OncologyNeoplasmsBiomarkersBiomarkers, TumorHumansLiver NeoplasmsBiomarkersBiomarkers, TumorArtificial intelligenceClinical trialsEndpointsInterventional oncologyStatistics

Identifiers

PMID41545771
PMCPMC13156218

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.