Positron emission tomography with [18F]FDG for therapy response monitoring in lymphoma patients

Lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of diseases with differing histopathology, clinical behaviour, response to therapy and outcome. Lymphomas are highly sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and the recent developments in treatment have considerably improved clinical outcome. However, there is increasing recognition that this has been at the cost of long-term treatment-related effects in a relatively young patient population. Thus, one of the most challenging aspects in the imaging of lymphoma patients is tailoring the intensity of the treatment to the individual patient. This paper reviews recently published data concerning the use of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ([F-18]FDG-PET) for therapy monitoring in lymphoma patients and highlights the shortcomings and future directions. A temporary strategy for the implementation of [F-18]FDG-PET in the management of lymphoma patients is proposed.