| Positron Emission Tomography (PET) using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) is a developing nuclear imaging technique, which has been introduced in the management of malignant lymphoma. Three research projects monitoring response in non-Hodgkin s lymphoma (NHL) using PET are currently in progress. In the first project, changes in 18F-FDG uptake are measured with PET during reinduction chemotherapy for relapsed NHL. PET scans are also performed after injecting H215O to compare perfusion with glucose metabolism as a prognostic marker. A larger prospective study aims to investigate the predictive value of PET using 18F-FDG for outcome after stem cell transplantation. The second project, a multicenter prospective cohort study has been started in 2002 to assess the value of midtreatment FDG PET for early prediction of treatment outcome in terms of freedom from tumour progression in patients with aggressive NHL treated with CHOP chemotherapy. For this study, financial support of NWO has been achieved within the framework of Doelmatigheidsbevordering van FDG PET-Diagnostiek . The intended amount of patients (115) has been reached and the study will be analysed medio 2006. The third project, in collaboration with the University Medical Center Groningen, is a project to develop a new prognostic classification combining FDG-PET with clinical risk scores to determine prognosis in relapsed lymphoma and improving patient selection for autologous stem cell transplantation. For this study, FDG PET and clinical data from 100 patients with relapsed lymphoma treated with chemotherapy and autologous transplantation, will be analysed. zoeken zoeken Uitgebreid zoeken |
