Photo Credit: iStock.com/Nemes Laszlo

The following is a summary of “Prognostic role of interim PET-CT demonstrating partial metabolic response in diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma: a retrospective study,” published in the April 2025 issue of Annals of Hematology by Gao et al. 

Interim¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT (iPET/CT) imaging shows promise in evaluating early therapeutic response in lymphoma. However, its prognostic significance in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is still debated. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess whether semi-quantitative PET/CT parameters improve the prognostic value of interim PET/CT in patients with DLBCL and partial metabolic remission (PMR). 

They analyzed records from January 2018 to December 2023 for patients with DLBCL and PMR on interim PET-CT. Patient data and PET/CT metabolic parameters were extracted, multivariate analyses identified risk factors for failure to achieve CMR at end of treatment (EOT). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) determined optimal cut-off values, and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan–Meier with Cox regression for risk evaluation. 

The results showed that in 80 newly diagnosed DLBCL cases with PMR, 50 achieved CMR while 30 had positive PET findings at EOT. Interim RLL greater than 1.66 was a reliable predictor, with 73.3% sensitivity and 72.0% specificity. Interim RLL and bone marrow involvement were independent risk factors for positive PET-CT at EOT. International prognostic index (IPI) and interim RLL were also independent prognostic indicators for both PFS and OS. 

Investigators found that interim RLL >1.66 and bone marrow involvement were independent risk factors for positive PET at EOT. They also identified IPI and interim RLL as independent prognostic markers for PFS and OS. 

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00277-025-06368-0