The use of interim 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET to guide therapy in lymphoma

Abstract

Over the past decade 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET combined with computed tomography has gained a central role in the management of patients with lymphoma. The use of FDG-PET for staging and assessing treatment response in Hodgkin’s and ‘aggressive’ non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is now well established, and the prognostic impact of the response to treatment assessed by FDG-PET is being increasingly recognized. Despite the widespread utilization of FDG-PET in clinical practice, key questions remain on its optimal use in certain contexts. One such area that is generating intense interest is the role of interim FDG-PET (typically performed after two to four cycles of chemotherapy) to guide treatment strategies. The author’s will review the current available evidence in this area, highlighting questions in need of further study.