Current and Future Role of Medical Imaging in Guiding the Management of Patients With Relapsed and Refractory Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treated With CAR T-Cell Therapy

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells are a novel immunotherapy available for patients with refractory/relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In this indication, clinical trials have demonstrated that CAR T-cells achieve high rates of response, complete response, and long-term response (up to 80%, 60%, and 40%, respectively). Nonetheless, the majority of patients ultimately relapsed. This review provides an overview about the current and future role of medical imaging in guiding the management of non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients treated with CAR T-cells. It discusses the value of predictive and prognostic biomarkers to better stratify the risk of relapse, and provide a patient-tailored therapeutic strategy. At baseline, high tumor volume (assessed on CT-scan or on [18F]-FDG PET/CT) is a prognostic factor associated with treatment failure. Response assessment has not been studied extensively yet. Available data suggests that current response assessment developed on CT-scan or on [18F]-FDG PET/CT for cytotoxic systemic therapies remains relevant to estimate lymphoma response to CAR T-cell therapy. Nonetheless, atypical patterns of response and progression have been observed and should be further analyzed. The potential advantages as well as limitations of artificial intelligence and radiomics as tools providing high throughput quantitative imaging features is described.

Automated summary

CAR T-cell therapy shows promising results in treating refractory/relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, but a risk of relapse remains. Medical imaging plays a crucial role in guiding treatment, while predictive biomarkers can help in stratifying the risk of relapse.