The role of positron emission tomography in T-cell lymphoma and T-cell specific response criteria

An increasing number of effective treatments are becoming available for lymphomas in general, and T-cell NHL specifically. Thus, standardized measures of evaluation of response become of greater importance to permit comparison amongst studies and to facilitate evaluation by regulatory agencies. Prior to 1999, a lack of standardized of response assessment led to variability among clinical trials groups and cancer centers impairing comparisons of various studies. In 1999, an International Working Group (IWG) composed of clinicians, radiologists and pathologists with expertise in the evaluation and management of patients with lymphoma convened to develop guidelines that standardized response assessment, and defined response categories and study endpoints.1 These recommendations were widely adopted by clinical trials groups and were used by regulatory agencies for the assessment of new agents.