Review for 10.1186/s12876-023-02743-1 (2023)

Reviewer’s report
Title: 
Repeatability of Radiomics Studies in Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic
Review
Version: 
1 
Date: 
19 May 2022
Reviewer's report:
this review "Repeatability of Radiomics Studies in Colorectal Cancer: A
Systematic Review" analyzes an original topic of research in Radiomics. The
search deadline was March 2020, that is far from the most recent developments
of the artificial intelligence models. Although the authors did not conduct a
meta-analysis the main differences between the AI models should be described
in the paragraph 3.2. 
In paragraph 3.2.3. please report the variability in ROI definition because it
impacts on features extraction. Several studies extended the ROI on the entire
parenchyma and not only around the tumor, of course with significant longer
segmentation time.( Rocca A, Brunese MC, Santone A, Avella P, Bianco P,
Scacchi A, Scaglione M, Bellifemine F, Danzi R, Varriano G, Vallone G, Calise
F, Brunese L. Early Diagnosis of Liver Metastases from Colorectal Cancer
through CT Radiomics and Formal Methods: A Pilot Study. J Clin Med. 2021
Dec 22;11(1):31. doi: 10.3390/jcm11010031. PMID: 35011771; PMCID:
PMC8745238.
For these reason it could be appropriate integrating the discussion with the latest
studies.; Taghavi M, Trebeschi S, Simões R, Meek DB, Beckers RCJ, Lambregts
DMJ, Verhoef C, Houwers JB, van der Heide UA, Beets-Tan RGH, Maas M.
Machine learning-based analysis of CT radiomics model for prediction of
colorectal metachronous liver metastases. Abdom Radiol (NY). 2021
Jan;46(1):249-256. doi: 10.1007/s00261-020-02624-1. PMID: 32583138.)
Furthermore you reported the average segmentation time taken with each
method. Please add references. 
In the last two years formal methods granted reliability with the small samples.
Add references of radiomics and formal methods in the discussion, and their
impact on the sample size (line 9-10).
Publons Reviewer Recognition
. Springer Nature can send verification of this
review directly to Publons (a subsidiary of Clarivate Analytics). If you would
like to take advantage of this service, please click on the “Yes” option below.
Your name, email address, title of the reviewed manuscript, name of the journal,
and date of your review submission (the “Review Data”) will then be transmitted
to Publons after the final decision on the manuscript has been made. If you have
already registered at Publons, they will notify you of the receipt of this review
and update your profile 
as per your settings and their policy. If you are not
registered with Publons, you will receive an email from them asking you to
register in order for them to be able to recognize your review on your new
profile page. Publons may use the Review Data to generate derivative metadata
for the benefit of Publons and you as a reviewer, carefully considering the
sensitivity of such information. For example, Publons may verify your record as
a reviewer by updating your profile published on its webservice if you have
registered for such service or help editors to identify candidate reviewers. Please
find the details of processing in Publons’ privacy policy
https://publons.com/about/terms
No
Declaration of competing interests
Please complete a declaration of competing
interests, considering the following questions:
1
. 
Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or
salary from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially
from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?
2
. 
Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way
gain or lose financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now
or in the future?
3
. 
Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the
content of the manuscript?
4
. 
Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an
organization that holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of
the manuscript?
5
. 
Do you have any other financial competing interests?
6
. 
Do you have any non-financial competing interests in relation to this
paper?
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing
interests' below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer Publication Consent.
 I agree for my report to be made available
under an Open Access Creative Commons CC-BY License (
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
) if this manuscript is accepted for
publication. Any comments that I do not wish to be included in the published
report have been included as confidential comments to the editor, which will not
be published.
If you are not happy for us to publish this report, please contact the
editorial office before completing the review.
If you wish, you can include your
name in your published report. Please note you must decide whether to include
your name at the start of the process and confirm this decision whenever
prompted. If you change your decision later, we will not be able to publish your
name.
I agree to the terms of the CC-BY 4.0 license; please 
do not
 publish my name
with my report. (default)
Is the study design appropriate to answer the research question (including the use
of appropriate controls), and are the conclusions supported by the evidence
presented?
Yes
Are the methods sufficiently described to allow the study to be repeated?
Yes
Is the use of statistics and treatment of uncertainties appropriate?
Yes
Is the presentation of the work clear?
No
Are the images in this manuscript (including electrophoretic gels and blots) free
from apparent manipulation?
Yes