The PET scan as a crystal ball for lymphoma treatment
A recent commentary in the Annals of Oncology underscores the critical role of interim positron emission tomography (iPET) in personalizing lymphoma care. While lymphomas like Hodgkin and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are highly chemosensitive, patient responses vary significantly. The article positions iPET, performed during treatment, as a powerful tool within a post-treatment strategy focused on detecting measurable residual disease and evaluating imaging response. This real-time metabolic assessment allows clinicians to move beyond static prognostic indexes and modify therapeutic approaches based on an individual’s early biological response to chemotherapy.
Why it might matter to you: For hematologists and oncologists managing lymphoma, this reinforces the shift towards response-adapted therapy guided by functional imaging. Incorporating iPET analysis into clinical pathways can help stratify patients, potentially escalating treatment for poor responders or de-escalating for those with an excellent early metabolic response to minimize toxicity. This approach directly addresses the core challenge of treatment individualization in hematologic malignancies, aiming to improve long-term outcomes by making data-driven decisions during, not after, a course of chemotherapy.
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