REVIEW article

Front. Med., 18 December 2024

Sec. Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine

Volume 11 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1515040

Semiquantitative 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT-based parameters role in lymphoma

  • 1. Nuclear Medicine Unit, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

  • 2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

  • 3. Radiology Unit, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

  • 4. Nuclear Medicine Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy

  • 5. Division of Nuclear Medicine, Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Turin, Italy

  • 6. Dipartimento di Radiodiagnostica e Radioterapia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy

Abstract

2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-D-glucose (2-[18F]FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) plays a crucial role in the management of lymphoma in different settings, such as staging disease, assessing response to therapy, predicting prognosis, and planning RT. Beside visual analysis, several semiquantitative parameters were introduced to study lymphoma with promising results. These parameters can represent different disease characteristics, like body composition (such as sarcopenic index), dissemination of disease (Dmax), tumor burden (including metabolic tumor volume) and texture features. All these parameters showed promising results, especially in terms of prognosis (progression free survival and overall survival), but lack of standardization and shared methodology remains a big issue. Advances in PET-based biomarkers are on the horizon, yet their integration into clinical decision-making is currently hindered by methodological limitations that require resolution through confirmatory prospective validation in specific patient groups. This review highlights studies demonstrating the prognostic and predictive value of these semiquantitative parameters in lymphoma, while also discussing their potential applicability in clinical practice.

1 Introduction

Lymphoma is a heterogeneous group of tumors of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissue, divided in two main categories: Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). NHL consist of 90% of all lymphoma. Lymphoma represents approximately 5% of all malignancies. Lymphoma can be aggressive or indolent according to the main histological features and treatments are directly related to their aggressiveness. 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-D-glucose (2-[18F]FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is a hybrid imaging tool that has recently experienced a wide increase in its use and applications. 2-[18F]FDG exploits the capacity to detect lesions with high activity based on their increased glycolytic metabolism. The role of 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT in lymphoma is well established with strong evidence in staging disease and evaluation of treatment response in FDG-avid lymphoma, which for definition are considered HL, Follicular Lymphoma (FL) and Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) (1, 2). Recent data described the potential usefulness of 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT also in other less studied lymphoma variants, like Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) (3), Burkitt Lymphoma (BL) (4) and Marginal Lymphoma (5). Moreover, a prognostic impact of PET/CT features was demonstrated both for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (6). In 2014, a multidisciplinary panel of lymphoma experts established the Lugano criteria, which include the previously developed 5-point scale (5-PS), known as the Deauville score. This scale relies on the visual evaluation of FDG uptake in the reference lesion, compared to reference organs such as the liver and mediastinum, to assess treatment response (7, 8). This visual score quickly acquired universal acceptance and was commonly incorporated for response assessment in clinical practice and as a surrogate endpoint in clinical trials. However, more recently some semiquantitative parameters derived from PET or CT images were studied with promising findings, especially in the prognostic field. These biomarkers are derived from PET/CT scans, which are processed using molecular imaging algorithms and then transformed into quantitative variables (9). These variables encompass various disease characteristics, including volume, represented as metabolic tumor volume (MTV), which is typically defined as the hypermetabolic tumor burden; features of dissemination, such as Dmax, which measures the distance between areas of increased uptake; and skeletal muscle status, often described in terms of sarcopenic features or image texture. Despite extensive development efforts, these semiquantitative PET-based biomarkers remain largely excluded from risk-adapted treatment approaches and are limited only in the research field. The aim of this narrative review is to resume the most relevant applications and findings of these PET-metrics in lymphoma, underlying their strengths and limitations, as well as recent efforts to implement PET/CT-based metrics as promising tools for precision medicine.

2 Sarcopenia

2.1 Definition and background

The term sarcopenia was first coined by Irwin Rosenberg in 1988 with this definition: a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and strength, associated with adverse outcomes like physical disability, poor quality of life and death (10). Although primarily associated with aging, sarcopenia is also prevalent in pathological conditions like inflammatory diseases, endocrine disorders, chronic illnesses and nutritional deficiencies (11). In 2019, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) established 3 diagnostic criteria: decreased muscle quality or quantity, decreased muscle strength and decreased physical performance (12). Skeletal muscle (SM), which accounts approximately for half of total body mass plays several crucial functions, like locomotion and homeostase. SM cells product many specific cytokines, named myokines, which have paramount paracrine and endocrine activities (13, 14). Besides, some of these cytokines may have antineoplastic effects. Consequently, sarcopenia is considered a poor prognostic marker in many oncological diseases. It is associated with poor prognosis, expressed as PFS or OS, and with increased drug-related toxicities (15). There is substantial evidence supporting the role of sarcopenia in predicting prognosis in hematologic malignancies, particularly in lymphoma (16–19). Therefore, it is essential to assess sarcopenia using precise and reproducible methods.

2.2 Technical characteristics

Over time, various imaging techniques have been explored for diagnosing sarcopenia, each with distinct characteristics regarding availability, cost, and ease of implementation. These include the grip test, which uses a calibrated hand-held dynamometer to assess muscle strength; the short physical performance battery to evaluate physical function; and computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which provide quantitative estimates of muscle and fat tissue areas (12). CT and MRI are considered the best tools for these measurements due to their ability to differentiate fat from other soft tissues of the body, like muscle.

First, Shen et al. (20) reported that a single cross-sectional image at the level of the third lumbar vertebral accurately represents total body muscle mass. Then, Mourtzakis et al. (21) validated this method among oncological patients using CT images as a reference. Since then, many authors studied the clinical impact of decreased skeletal muscle mass as the representation of sarcopenia state.

2.3 Main results in lymphoma

A total of 38 studies accounting for 6,006 patients analyzed the role of sarcopenia measured by CT in lymphoma (22–59) (Table 1). The most common lymphoma histotype studied was DLBCL, followed by HL and MCL. The rate of sarcopenia reported was very heterogeneous ranging from 16 to 73% and dependent to the heterogeneous nature of the population analyzed. Now, CT is considered the ideal tool for the measurements of sarcopenia and muscle measurement at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) the most frequent site for this kind of analysis. The procedure consists of the use of cross-sectional area to measure psoas muscle and/or paravertebral lumbar muscles with specific software (Figure 1). For estimating sarcopenia, in most cases “high-dose” CT was chosen as imaging technique (22–33, 35, 37, 38, 40–44, 50–55, 58, 59), while in more recent studies a combination of high-dose CT and low- dose CT of PET was utilized (34, 36, 39, 46, 56), and in other only low- dose CT of PET (45, 47–49, 57). The CT component of hybrid PET/CT is utilized to correct attenuation in PET emission data and to ensure precise anatomical localization of radiotracer uptake seen in the PET images. In the context of lymphoma, the potential to apply PET/CT for sarcopenic assessment may streamline the process, as FDG PET/CT offers enhanced diagnostic accuracy in staging both nodal and extranodal disease when compared to CT alone. In comparative research high-dose CT and the CT component of PET/CT demonstrated to be accurate and reproducible in calculating the extent of skeletal muscle mass and adipose tissue (60). In addition to L3, some authors measured skeletal muscle mass in different anatomical sites, like the fourth thoracic vertebra (T4) (37), pectoralis muscle (31, 35) or the proximal thigh (45). The most commonly assessed parameter representing sarcopenia was the skeletal muscle index (SMI) expressed as cm2/m2, which usually represents the sum of areas of skeletal muscles in an axial slice region normalized for height. The muscles present at the L3 are psoas, abdominal transverse rectum, paraspinal, external, and internal oblique muscles. Some authors measured (24, 42, 44) only psoas areas and the subsequent parameter extracted was defined as the psoas muscle index (PMI). One of the open issues present in the literature is the presence of different thresholds of SMI for the definition of sarcopenia and these cut-offs are dependent on gender and body mass index (36, 39, 45, 52). As shown in Table 2, the most commonly used threshold for L3 SMI was 55.8 cm2/m2 for males and 38.9 cm2/m2 for females. However, the suggested threshold values varied widely, depending on the population studied, ranging from 43 cm2/m2 to 56.8 cm2/m2 for men and from 31 cm2/m2 to 47.4 cm2/m2 for women. For pectoralis muscle SMI, the typical cut-off values are 4.4 cm2/m2 for men and 3.1 cm2/m2 for women, while for PMI, they are 4.4 cm2/m2 for men and 3.1 cm2/m2 for women, or 6.36 cm2/m2 for men and 3.92 cm2/m2 for women. In general, sarcopenia metrics showed correlations with OS (22, 28, 30–32, 34–36, 43, 44, 46, 47, 51, 52, 54, 55, 57, 59) and PFS (23, 28, 30–32, 34–36, 41, 44, 46–48, 51, 52, 54, 57, 59) but in some studies (25, 29, 38, 39, 45, 49, 50, 53) this correlation was not revealed. Concerning treatment response evaluation, only articles investigating DLBCL receiving R-CHOP chemotherapy are present (28, 31, 35, 44, 58) and show a significant relationship with treatment response. Regarding the side effects and toxicities after therapies, seven publications (24, 26, 28, 31, 33, 39, 43) showed a significant association between sarcopenia and these complications.

Table 1

First author (ref)YearCountryStudy designN° patients includedFemale (%)Mean/median (range)Lymphoma histotypeTreatmentN° patients with sarcopenia (%)
Camus V (22)2014FranceR8045 (56%)78.66 (68–93)DLBCLR-CHOP (n = 44)
R-miniCHOP (n = 36)
44 (55%)
Lanic H (23)2014FranceR8246 (56%)78 (68–93)DLBCLR-CHOP 8 (n = 45)
R-miniCHOP (n = 37)
45 (55%)
Caram MV (24)2015United States of AmericaP12148 (40%)53 (21–74)DLBCL (n = 53)
MCL (n = 33)
HL (n = 17)
FL (n = 5)
other (n = 13)
HSCTna
Nakamura N (25)2015JapanR20786 (42%)67 (19–86)DLBCLR-CHOP (n = 116)
R-THP-COP (n = 91)
115 (56%)
Xiao DY (26)2016United States of AmericaR52212 (2%)64DLBCLCHOP +/− R245 (47%)
Xiao DY (27)2016United States of AmericaR34211 (3%)63.4DLBCLCHOP +/− Rna
Go S (28)2016KoreaR18775 (40%)(17–89)DLBCLR-CHOP46 (24%)
Karmali R (29)2017United States of AmericaR8646 (53%)64DLBCL (n = 76)
MCL (n = 10)
R-CHOP (n = 67)
DA-EPOCH (n = 7)
mixed (n = 12)
43 (50%)
Chu MP (30)2017CanadaR22499 (49%)62(21–88)DLBCLR-CHOP116 (52%)
Go S (31)2017KoreaR19381 (42%)(21–86)DLBCLR-CHOP77 (40%)
Jabbour J (32)2018LebanonR9341 (44%)38 (17–70)HL (n = 45)
NHL (mixed T and B cell) (n = 48)
HSCTna
DeFilipp Z (33)2018United States of AmericaR315127 (41%)55 (19–77)NHL B cell (n = 224)
NHL T cell(n = 64)
HL (n = 27)
HSCT155 (49%)
Burkart M (34)2019United States of AmericaR10956 (51%)nrDLBCL (n = 89)
MCL (n = 18)
BL (n = 2)
chemotherapy65 (60%)
Go S (35)2020KoreaR22898 (43%)(21–88)DLBCLR-CHOP100 (45%)
Lin RJ (36)2020United States of AmericaR14644 (30%)61 (50–79)NHL (n = 138)
HL (n = 8)
HSCT80 (55%)
Mishra S (37)2020United States of AmericaR296135 (46%)52.4NHL (n = 165)
HL (n = 14)
other (n = 117)
HSCT182 (61%)
Rier HN (38)2020NetherlandsR16484 (52%)64.5DLBCLR-CHOP80 (49%)
Armenian SH (39)2020United States of AmericaR320122 (38%)53.3 (18.5–78.1)DLBCL (n = 133)
HL (n = 84)
MCL (n = 50)
FL (n = 24)
T-cell L (n = 21)
other (n = 8)
HSCT84 (26%)
Bas V (40)2021TurkeyR5925(42%)39.5 (20–73)HLABVDna
Lucjanic M (41)2021CroatiaR4924(49%)36HLABVD (n = 38)
eBEACOP (n = 11)
na
Hirota K (42)2021JapanR4016 (40%)58 (80–74)malignant lymphomaHSCTna
Guo J (43)2021ChinaR20187 (43%)56.9DLBCLR-CHOPna
Iltar U (44)2021TurkeyR12054 (45%)56.1 (52–68)DLBCLR-CHOP65 (54%)
Besutti G (45)2021ItalyR11656 (48%)63.7DLBCLR-CHOP (n = 70)
R-mini CHOP (n = 18)
R-MACOP-B (n = 9)
R-CVP (n = 5)
R-CODOX-M/R-IVAC (n = 3)
EPOCH-R (n = 3)
29 (25%)
Zilioli V (46)2021ItalyR15476 (49%)71HLABVD (n = 117)
mixed (n = 31)
RT alone (n = 5)
113 (73%)
Albano D (47)2022ItalyR8847 (53%)72.8 (65–91)HLABVD (n = 63)
mixed (n = 25)
58 (66%)
Albano D (48)2022ItalyR5314 (27%)72.7 (66–88)MCLR-BAC (n = 22)
R-CHOP (n = 10)
other (n = 21)
32 (60%)
Tan X (49)2022ChinaR1435 (29%)26 (3–64, 161, 162)T-LBLchemotherapy + intratecal therapy (n = 31)
chemotherapy + HSCT (n = 12)
chemotherapy + RT (n = 2)
18 (37%)
Penichoux J (50)2023FranceP9548 (51%)78.4 (70–92)DLBCLR-CHOP (n = 54)
R-miniCHOP (n = 40)
53 (56%)
Go S-I (51)2023KoreaR305180 (59%)66.5 (50–75)DLBCLR-CHOP91 (42%)
Liao PH (52)2023TaiwanR6730 (45%)77.4 (70–91)DLBCLR-CHOP
Aleixo GFP (53)2023United States of AmericaR26491 (34%)59 (21–78)NHLHSCT124 (47%)
Chen Y (54)2023ChinaR18182 (45%)60 (22–83)DLBCLR-CHOP75 (41%)
Rejeski K (55)2023GermanyR10640 (36%)64 (19–83)DLBCLCar-T cell therapyna
Sumransub N (56)2023United States of AmericaR7827 (35%)58.9 (16.8–72)DLBCL (n = 30)
MCL (n = 26)
HL (n = 13)
Other(n = 9)
HSCT27 (35%)
Tan X (57)2024ChinaR10353 (52%)54 (21–76)DLBCLR-CHOP30 (29%)
Surov A (58)2024GermanyR6129 (48%)63.8 (23–81)PCNSLchemotherapy + RTna
Niiyama-Uchibori Y (59)2024JapanR10244 (43%)80 (75–92)DLBCLR-CHOP, R-CHP, R-CVP16 (16%)

The main technical and clinical features.

BL, Burkitt lymphoma; DLBCL, diffuse large B cell lymphoma; FL, follicular lymphoma; HL, Hodgkin lymphoma; HSCT, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; M, male; MCL, mantle cell lymphoma; na, not available; P, prospective; PCNSL, primary central nervous system lymphoma; R, retrospective; RT, radiotherapy; T-LBL, T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.

Figure 1

Table 2

First AuthorImaging methodParameters evaluatedSMI thresholdOutcome survival
Camus V (22)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI55.8 cm2/m2 for men
38.9 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with OS
Lanic H (23)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI55.8 cm2/m2 for men
38.9 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS
Caram MV (24)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesTotal psoas area; total psoas index; lean psoas area; lean psoas index100 unit decrease (mm2/m2)Statistically significant correlation with readmission days and number of complications
Nakamura N (25)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI47.1 cm2/m2 for men
34.4 cm2/m2 for women
Not statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS in whole population. Statistically significant correlation with PFS in men
Xiao DY (26)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI53 cm2/m2 for men
41 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with probability of toxicities. Not Statistically significant correlation with OS
Xiao DY (27)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI53 cm2/m2 for men
41 cm2/m2 for women
na
Go S (28)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI53 cm2/m2 for men
41 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with response to treatment, OS, PFS and risk of toxicities
Karmali R (29)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI; CXI55.8 cm2/m2 for men
38.9 cm2/m2 for women
No statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS
Chu MP (30)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI; SMDnrStatistically significant correlation with OS and PFS
Go S (31)Muscle assessment at the pectoralis muscles and L3 level using CT imagesL3-SMI; PM-SMI52.4 cm2/m2 for men (L3)
38.5 cm2/m2 for women (L3)
4.4 cm2/m2 for men (PM)
3.1 cm2/m2 for women (PM)
Statistically significant correlation with response to treatment, OS, PFS and risk of toxicities
Jabbour J (32)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI52.4 cm2/m2 for men
38.5 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlated with OS and PFS
DeFilipp Z (33)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI55 cm2/m2 for men
39 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with probability of toxicities. No statistically significant correlation with OS
Burkart M (34)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT or CT of PET imagesSMI56.8 cm2/m2 for men
47.4 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS in male
Go S (35)Muscle assessment at the pectoralis muscles and L3 level using CT imagesL3-SMI; PM-SMI52.4 cm2/m2 for men (L3)
38.5 cm2/m2 for women(L3)
4.4 cm2/m2 for men (PM)
3.1 cm2/m2 for women (PM)
Statistically significant correlation with response to treatment, OS, PFS and risk of toxicities
Lin RJ (36)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT or CT of PET imagesSMI43 cm2/m2 for men with BMI < 25
41 cm2/m2 for women
53 cm2/m2 for men with BMI > 25
Statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS
Mishra S (37)Muscle assessment at the T4 and L3 level using CT imagesSMI52.4 cm2/m2 for men
38.5 cm2/m2 for women
na
Rier HN (38)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMIno cutoff suggestedNo statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS
Armenian SH (39)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT or CT of PET imagesSMI43 cm2/m2 for men with BMI < 25
41 cm2/m2 for women
53 cm2/m2 for men with BMI > 25
No statistically significant correlation with OS
Bas V (40)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesHU; MTVNo cutoff suggestedna
Lucjanic M (41)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI5.82 cm2/m2Statistically significant correlation with PFS
Hirota K (42)Psoas muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesPMI; VFA; SFA6.36 cm2/m2 for men
3.92 cm2/m2 for women
na
Guo J (43)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMA; SMD; SMI; SMGSMI 27.55 cm2/m2
SMD 36.86 cm2/m2
SMG 1462
Statistically significant correlation with OS and probability of toxicities
Iltar U (44)Psoas muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesPMI4.4 cm2/m2 for men
3.1 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with response to treatment, OS and PFS
Besutti G (45)Muscle assessment at the L3 and proximal thigh level using CT of PET imagesSMI; SMD43 cm2/m2 for men with BMI < 25
41 cm2/m2 for women
53 cm2/m2 for men with BMI > 25
+
52.4 cm2/m2 for men
38.5 cm2/m2 for women
SMI not significantly correlated with OS and PFS
SMD significantly correlated with OS and PFS
Zilioli V (46)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT or CT of PET imagesSMI55 cm2/m2 for men
39 cm2/m2 for women
+
47.1 cm2/m2 for men
34.4 cm2/m2 for women
+
45 cm2/m2 for men
Statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS in male
Albano D (47)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT of PET imagesSMI, ΔSMI55 cm2/m2 for men
39 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS
Albano D (48)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT of PET imagesSMI53 cm2/m2 for men
45.6 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with PFS, not with OS
Tan X (49)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT of PET imagesSMI44.7 cm2/m2 for men
32.5 cm2/m2 for women
No statistically significant correlation with PFS and OS
Penichoux J (50)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI55.8 cm2/m2 for men
38.9 cm2/m2 for women
No statistically significant correlation with PFS and OS
Go S-I (51)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI52.4 cm2/m2 for men
38.5 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS
Liao PH (52)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI43 cm2/m2 for men with BMI < 25
41 cm2/m2 for women
53 cm2/m2 for men with BMI > 25
Statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS
Aleixo GFP (53)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI; SMD, HU52 cm2/m2No statistically significant correlation with PFS and OS
Chen Y (54)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI44.7 cm2/m2 for men
32.5 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS
Rejeski K (55)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI, PMI34.5 cm2/m2 SMI
4.7 cm2/m2 PMI
Statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS
Sumransub N (56)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT or CT of PET imagesSMI52.4 cm2/m2 for men
38.5 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with PFS, not with OS
Tan X (57)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT of PET imagesSMI, ΔSMI44.7 cm2/m2 for men
32.5 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS
Surov A (58)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI52.4 cm2/m2 for men
38.5 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with treatment response and risk of toxicities
Niiyama-Uchibori Y (59)Muscle assessment at the L3 level using CT imagesSMI, PMI, ESMI40.31 cm2/m2 for men
30.88 cm2/m2 for women
Statistically significant correlation with OS and PFS

The principal technical characteristics of articles published about sarcopenia in lymphoma.

BMI, body mass index; CXI, cachexia index; ESMI, erector spinae muscle index; HU, Hounsfield; L3, third lumbar vertebra; MTV, metabolic tumor volume; OS, overall survival; PET, positron emission tomography; PMI, psoas muscle index; PM, pectoral muscle; PFS, progression free survival; SMI, skeletal muscle index; SMD, skeletal muscle density; SMG, skeletal muscle gage; T4, fourth thoracic vertebra.

In addition to CT, interesting data is emerging about the role of MRI in measuring skeletal muscle mass in extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma and PCNSL (61–63). In these studies, sarcopenia parameters were measured at the temporal muscle or masticatory muscle deriving different thresholds (5.5 cm2/m2), but the findings are only preliminary and need more solid evidence. CT is typically favored over MRI due to its broad availability, lower cost, and faster processing time.

In conclusion, although the studies are heterogeneous, primarily retrospective, and show considerable variability in sample size, it can be argued that sarcopenia measurement using CT (both high and low dose) is a reliable and safe method, often correlated with prognosis. While the overall findings on sarcopenia-related imaging features in lymphoma are promising, the technical challenges and lack of international consensus on defining sarcopenia thresholds impact the widespread adoption of this parameter in clinical practice.

2.4 Definition and background

Multiple quantitative metrics obtained from baseline PET/CT, such as metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), appear to be viable indicators across different lymphoma subtypes. Specific studies indicate that a heightened MTV value serves as an effective predictor of worse outcomes in lymphoma patients (64–66). Enhanced prognostic models may be developed by integrating baseline MTV or TLG with early responses observed in interim PET/CT scans. Although the notion of MTV is fundamentally straightforward, as it denotes the viable tumor burden, the methodology for its measurement remains a subject of debate (67).

2.5 Technical characteristics

Many methodologies have been introduced to quantify MTV and implemented in specific individuals diagnosed with diverse lymphoma subtypes. This has led to multiple cut-offs for MTV that distinguish between favorable and unfavorable prognostic groupings. To date, the most common technique for assessing disease MTV involves the semi-automatic delineation of lesions, namely regions exhibiting abnormal uptake above a predefined threshold (usually 4.0) or percentage of the SUVmax of the most active lesion (typically 41% as suggested by EANM guidelines). Furthermore, several software applications for the automated segmentation of PET scans are being developed to reduce interobserver variability and enhance measurement reproducibility. Another issue hampering the employment of MTV in clinical practice relies on how it is evaluated, since most studies available in the literature use it as a categorical variable, although biomarkers predict outcomes better as continuous variables (68). Currently, it is not yet clear if used MTV as categorical or continuous variable. The standardization of the methodology for MTV measurement and its settling in prediction models are essential to evaluating the potential significance of this variable in the risk classification of lymphoma patients and utilizing it as a prognostic factor in clinical practice. Recently, Boellaard et al. (69) proposed an international benchmark for total metabolic tumor volume measurement in baseline 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT using an automatic segmentation method and a predefined threshold for SUV equal to 4.0 in order to solve any discrepancy between different readers. However, the studied that compared the prognostic role of different threshold for the measurement of MTV demonstrated similar performances (67). TLG is defined as the product of the mean SUV and MTV and has the role to assess the entity of uptake normalized for the tumor burden. Since TLG is a parameter derived from the calculation of MTV, its value is subject to the same issues mentioned for disease volume assessment.

2.6 Main results in lymphoma

Concerning the employment of MTV and TLG in the prognosis prediction in adult lymphoma patients, a meta-analysis from Guo et al. (70) reported that a high MTV and TLG significantly predicted shorter overall survival and progression-free survival in different subgroup analyses, including DLBCL, FL, ENKL and HL patients (Table 3). In this analysis, despite MTV and TLG being predictors of prognosis, MTV showed more gleaming results, suggesting that tumor burden is a more reliable instrument for risk stratification irrespective of the entity of glucose consumption. This meta-analysis makes one concept clear, MTV is a good outcome predictor in DLBCL and other lymphoma subtypes, regardless of the measurement method. However, the above-mentioned meta-analysis accounts for not negligible limitations since nearly all the included studies were retrospective and included patients with different lymphoma subtypes submitted to different therapeutic protocols (70). The MTV prognostic value was confirmed in a large DLBCL patient cohort treated with obinutuzumab or R-CHOP in the Phase three REMARC trial, which calculated a MTV cut-off of 220 cm3 to identify patients with higher-risk patients (71). Moreover, in a recent retrospective study by Mikhaeel et al. (72) MTV was identified as an optimal parameter to predict OS and PFS in DLBCL patients; as the other studies mentioned, MTV was a preferable variable rather than TLG to predict patients’ prognosis. Furthermore, the authors observed that MTV could predict prognosis independently from the IPI score. A crucial step toward the inclusion of MTV among the parameters for risk assessment in DLBCL patients in clinical practice was performed by the colleagues of the PETRA consortium, who developed the “International Metabolic Prognostic Index” (IMPI), which considered for its calculation age, stage and MTV in a staging setting (72). The first innovation brought about by this study was that MTV was not evaluated as a dichotomic variable but was instead assessed as a continuous variable. The study included DLBCL patients from five different clinical trials, and compared this novel index with the currently utilized IPI, revealing that IMPI could outperform IPI and could enable individualized estimates of patient’s outcome. More recently, different colleagues tried to employ the IMPI in clinical settings other than staging. Winkelmann et al. (73) tried to use the IMPI as a prognosis predictor in patients with relapse or refractory DLBCL undergoing chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CART), observing a good prediction of PFS; nevertheless, in this casuistry, IMPI had not a significant association with OS (of note, neither IPI did). Moreover, IMPI was tested in patients undergoing immunotherapy with oncastuximab tesirine in relapsed/refractory DLBCL patients, and, despite being significant predictor of PFS and OS, it showed an inferior predictive performance compared to MTV alone (19, 74). Although the IMPI has brought several innovations regarding risk classification in patients diagnosed with DLBCL, it is imperfect in predicting prognosis and may need revisions. Indeed, Michaud et al. (75) tested IMPI in a cohort of DLBCL patients undergoing risk-adapted immunochemotherapy regimen and observed that this novel index slightly overestimated the recurrence rate in their cohort, whereas baseline MTV was a significant predictor of PFS alongside ΔSUVmax and Deauville score. Finally, one recent study found a significant correlation of circulating tumor DNA with MTV, TLG and texture features at diagnosis, suggesting a potential interaction between these parameters (76).

Table 3

Author (ref.)YearStudy designNo. patientsLymphoma subtypeClinical settingSegmentation methodMTV cutoff (cm3)TLG cutoffMain outcomes
Tseng (84)2012R30HLStagingVisual assessment//Quantitative interpretation of FDG-PET is a valuable tool to guide the functional imaging for Hodgkin’s disease.
Kim (64)2013R20NK/T-cellStagingSUV > 3.014.4 cm352.7High MTV adjusted for the IPI score was the best predictor for OS and PFS
Song (85)2013R127HLStagingSUV > 2.5198/MTV was valuable for predicting the prognosis in patients with early stage HL.
Kanoun (65)2014R59HLStaging41% SUVmax225/MTV was independent predictor of PFS
Ceriani (66)2015P103PMBCLStaging25% SUVmax7035,814In univariate analysis, elevated MTV and TLG were significantly associated with worse PFS and OS. Only TLG retained statistical significance for both OS and PFS in multivariate analysis.
Cottereau (81)2018P159FLStaging41% SUVmax510/Baseline MTV better stratified the response to treatment assessed by end-of-induction PET in FL patients.
Zhou (82)2019R84FLStaging41% SUVmax1801,364Baseline TLG was an independent predictor of PFS and OS in FL.
Liang (83)2019R48FLStagingSUV > 2.0
SUV > 2.5
SUV > 3.0
SUV2: 505
SUV2.5: 391
SUV3: 476
SUV2: 3260
SUV2.5: 3080
SUV3: 2677
MTV and TLG were independent predictors of PFS and OS in FL patients.
Vercellino (71)2020P360DLBCLStaging41% SUVmax220/High MTV at baseline was significantly associated with inferior PFS and OS in patients receiving either lenalidomide maintenance or placebo.
Mikhaeel (72)2022R1,241DLBCLStagingSUV > 4.0Continuous variable/IMPI outperformed IPI as prognostic index in DLBCL patients
Winkelmann (73)2023P39DLBCLRelapse/
refractory undergoing CART
SUV > 4.0Continuous variable/IMPI had superior prognostic value compared to IPI for the estimation of PFS. IMPI could not predict OS.
Michaud (75)2023R166DLBCLStaging41% SUVmax510/MTV could improve risk stratification of patients undergoing risk-adapted chemotherapy.
Alderuccio (74)*2024R138DLBCLRelapse/refractorySUV > 496926Both IMPI and dichotomized MTV could predict PFS, however MTV alone had better results than IMPI.
Duffles (76)2024R27DLBCLStagingn.a.//MTV and TLG values had correlation with circulating tumor DNA.
Yang (80)2024R270FLStagingSUV > 2.5111.6141.5MTV and TLG may provide prognostic value and help to improve the decision-making of initial treatment plans for newly diagnosed FL patients.
Yadgarov (86)2024R115Pediatric HLStagingSUV > 2.5
41% SUVmax
SUV2.5: 160
41%SUV: 143
SUV2.5: 1360
41%SUV: 750
Both MTV and TLG from baseline and interim FDG-PET scans are strong prognostic indicators for treatment response and PFS in pediatric HL

Summary of main publications about MTV and TLG role in lymphoma.

*Alderuccio et al. (74) used MTV both as a dichotomized and continuous variable. DLBCL, diffuse large B cell lymphoma; FDG, fluorodeoxyglucose; FL, follicular lymphoma; HL, Hodgkin lymphoma; IMPI, International Metabolic Prognostic Index; IPI:International Prognostic Index; MTV, metabolic tumor volume; NHL, non-Hodgkin lymphoma; NK, natural killer cell; OS, overall survival; R, retrospective; P, prospective; PFS, progression-free survival; PMBCL, primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma; SUV, standard uptake value; TLG, total lesion glycolysis.

As for DLBCL, MTV and TLG might be a useful instrument for prognosis prediction and risk assessment also in FL. Being FL an indolent lymphoma subtype, no conclusive survival advantage has been established for the early commencement of rituximab or chemotherapy (77); subsequently, the watch-and-wait strategy continues to be an essential management choice in FL patients. Consistent with the survival statistics from a prospective randomized clinical trial, approximately half of the follicular lymphoma patients in the watchful waiting group did not require therapy after 3 years (77). In order to select patients needing treatment, the GELF criteria and NCCN guidelines utilize indicators such as patient symptoms, potential organ damage, severe cytopenia, and tumor burden assessment (bulky disease, involvement of at least three lymph nodes each measuring ≥3 cm in diameter), and splenomegaly, for the selection of patients requiring early treatment (78, 79). In this context, MTV and TLG were deemed reliable prognostic factors in patients undergoing therapy and in those in watch-and-wait (80–83). In this setting, more extensive multicentre trials are needed to assess if MTV (expressed as a dichotomic or continuous variable) might be a prognostic factor guiding the starting of treatment, irrespectively of the number of lesions detected. As for NHL, high values of MTV and TLG were found to negatively impact the prognosis also in HLs. In a prior investigation of HL patients undergoing routine regimens, the mean tumor load, adjusted for body surface area using CT measurements, proved to be a predictor of survival compared to the other prognostic models. Determining the metabolic volume of a tumor may be the most effective method for predicting response and its durability. Multivariate analysis conducted by Song et al. (84), including 127 early-stage HL patients treated, showed that high MTV was independently correlated with PFS and OS. In a separate single-centre investigation, Kanoun et al. (65) determined that pre-treatment MTV was a prognostic indicator of patient outcomes in a group of 59 HL patients. This study revealed that patients with low MTV exhibit superior PFS compared to those with high MTV. Multivariate analysis identified baseline total MTV and the reduction in SUVmax in response-assessment PET as the sole independent predictors of PFS, while tumor bulk was not a significant predictor. However, it is noteworthy that, in a similar analysis, Tseng et al. (85) tried using baseline MTV to predict PFS without any significant results. Subsequently, focus has shifted from conventional risk classification methods using baseline PET characteristics to employing interim PET data for guiding early therapeutic adjustments. Several studies measured MTV, TLG, and their temporal variations to assess their potential role as prognosis predictors. For example, Tseng et al. (85) observed that the ratio of MTV values collected in baseline and interim PET was predictive of PFS at 50 months. In a recent study, Yadgarov et al. (86) tested MTV and TLG as prognosis predictors in pediatric HL patients and observed that MTV and TLG were significantly associated with shorter PFS and had a strong correlation with post-treatment Deauville scores.

MTV and TLG showed positive impact also in predicting prognosis in patients that received CAR-T cell therapy as published in this recent meta-analysis (87).

In conclusion, MTV and TLG can be considered two parameters that precisely quantify the tumor burden and its metabolism in lymphoproliferative diseases. Their potential to predict, within certain limits, the treatment outcome in most lymphoma variants is a fascinating area of research. While attempts have already been made to integrate these values into risk stratification models, further studies are needed to make their measurements reproducible and provide the clinician with reliable data to select the best treatment option. Table 1 reports the main findings of the cited articles testing MTV and TLG as prognosis predictors in different lymphoma subtypes and clinical settings ordered by year of publication.

3 Dissemination features: Dmax

3.1 Definition and background

With advancements in PET/CT image processing and post-processing software, new opportunities have emerged for the precise and quantitative evaluation of lymphoma. One promising biomarker is Dmax, which measures the maximum tumor dissemination by calculating the distance between the two farthest hypermetabolic lesions detected on PET scans (88, 89). Traditional staging systems, such as the Ann Arbor classification, categorize lymphoma based on the extent of disease spread in a qualitative manner (7). In contrast, Dmax could offer a more precise, quantitative measure of disease dissemination, capturing details that the Ann Arbor system may not fully reflect. The transition from qualitative approaches to more personalized, data-driven quantitative approach could enhance risk stratification, paving the way for more precise prognostics scores (Figure 2).

Figure 2

3.2 Technical characteristics

Most studies on Dmax have focused on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (Table 4). Prognostication is critical in DLBCL due to its clinical heterogeneity. The concept of Dmax was first introduced by the French group led by Cottereau et al. (90). They demonstrated that Dmax was significantly associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in DLBCL patients. They further showed that combining Dmax with metabolic tumor volume (MTV) provided better risk stratification than using Dmax alone. In a larger study involving 290 patients (91), they confirmed that both Dmax and its normalized form (SDmax), adjusted for body surface area, were strongly correlated with PFS and OS, again suggesting that combining Dmax with MTV enhances prognostic accuracy. Another publication (92) supported these findings in a study involving 382 patients, highlighting the improved risk stratification achieved by combining Dmax with MTV. Similarly, Xu et al. (93) explored the prognostic role of Dmax combined with MTV to stratify risk in patients with low and high-risk categories according to the NCCN-IPI.

Table 4

Author (ref)YearSample sizeDmax cut-offType of studyMedian age (Range)M:FCombination with other parametersSoftware/Method usedPrincipal findings
Cottereau (90)20209558 cmRetrospective46(18–59)53:42Dmax + MTVLIFEx SoftwareSignificantly associated with PFS and OS; combining with TMTV improved risk stratification
Cottereau (91)202129032 cmRetrospectivena (60–80)170:120SDmax + MTVLIFEx SoftwareSDmax sgnificantly associated with PFS and OS; combination with MTV improved patient stratification
Girum et (92)202238259 cmRetrospective62.1* (34–73)207:175Dmax + MTVLIFEx SoftwareSignificantly associated with PFS and OS.
Xu (93)202311331 cmRetrospective61?57:56Dmax + MTVNADmax was associated with PFS.
Eertink (94)2022317cmProspective65(23–80)161:156Dmaxbulk + Other Metabolic ParametersRaCaTBest predictor of PFS
Eertink (95)2023296Not specifiedProspective65 (55–72)152:144Different dissemination featuresRaCaTAssociated with PFS and OS.
Ceriani (96)2022240naRetrospectivena119:121SDmax +Baseline Radiomic FeaturesLIFEx SoftwarePart of a predictive radiomics model for OS and PFS.
Dang et (97)202315453.2 cmRetrospective56 (16–87)78:76Dmax + %ΔSUVmaxLIFEx SoftwarePredictive of PFS
Jo (98)20236327.5 cmRetrospective57.3* (21–87)28:35Dmax + End-of-Treatment PETLIFEx SoftwarePredictor of TTP
Marchal (99)20235615 cmRetrospective60.2*36:20SDmaxLIFEx SoftwareAssociated with OS; No association with PFS

Summary of studies on Dmax in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

*mean; PFS, Progression free survival: OS, Overall survive; TTP, time to progression; MTV, metabolic tumor volume; NA, not available.

For the first time in 2022 the concept of Dmaxbulk was introduced (94, 95) and it was defined as the maximal distance between the largest lesion and any other lesion, which emerged as a strong predictor of treatment outcomes in DLBCL, particularly when combined with other metabolic parameters, improving the positive predictive value (PPV) by 15%. They further validated the prognostic value of Dmax in 2023, showing that baseline radiomic features, including Dmax, were significantly associated with PFS and OS in aggressive B-cell lymphoma. This evidence was confirmed by a subsequent research (96). Dang et al. (97) investigated the combination of baseline Dmax with %ΔSUVmax after 3–4 cycles of immunochemotherapy, finding that this combination improved the predictive efficacy for PFS. Jo et al. (98) extended these findings by showing that Dmax was associated with time to progression (TTP) when combined with end-of-treatment PET scans.

In a recent study Marchal et al. (99), demonstrated that pre-CAR-T cell infusion Dmax was an independent prognostic factor for OS in 56 DLBCL patients but did not impact PFS. These DLBCL studies consistently highlight the value of Dmax as a prognostic tool, particularly when combined with other PET-derived features like MTV. However, a major limitation across studies is the use of varying Dmax cut-offs, which complicates direct comparisons. Future research should focus on standardizing Dmax cut-offs in DLBCL and developing automated methods for calculating this parameter to improve clinical utility.

3.3 Main results in lymphoma

3.3.1 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a highly curable malignancy with modern therapies, but early identification of high-risk patients remains crucial. Five studies have evaluated Dmax in the context of HL, with generally consistent findings (Table 5). Weisman et al. (100) found that Dmax exhibited moderate reproducibility between automated software and physician measurements in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma patients. While Dmax was associated with outcomes, the study underscored the importance of reproducibility in its measurements for clinical adoption. Driessen et al. (101) also investigated Dmax reproducibility in adult patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), finding high reproducibility, which supports Dmax as a robust biomarker despite heterogeneous measurement methods.

Table 5

StudyYearLymphoma subtypeSample sizeDmax cut-offType of studyMedian age (years)M:FCombination with other parametersSoftware/method usedPrincipal findings
Weisman (100)2020Pediatric HL100NARetrospective15.8 (5.2–21.4)60:40naDeepmedicModerate reproducibility of Dmax measurements between software and physicians
Driessen (101)2022cHL (Adults)105naRetrospective30 (13–66)47:58naRaCaTHigh reproducibility of Dmax measurements across different segmentation methods
Zhou (102)2021HL6557.4 cmRetrospective29 (8–72)45:20naLIFExAssociation with PFS and OS.
Durmo (103)2022HL15520 cmRetrospectivena79:76Dmax + Interim PETLIFEx SoftwareDmax was predictor of PFS; combination with iPET improved accuracy
Drees (104)2022HL30naRetrospective36* (18–66)naDmax + Blood Markers (EV-miRNA, TARC)LIFEx SoftwareDmax was related to blood markers like EV-miRNA and TARC.
Li (105)2022Follicular Lymphoma12656.73Retrospective53(21–76)63–63Dmax + TLGRBoth Dmax and TLG were associated with PFS
Xie (106)2023Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma (PTCL)9565.95Retrospective64 (16–84)59:46Dmax + Bone Marrow BiopsyLIFEx SoftwareDmax, along with bone marrow biopsy results, was significantly linked to PFS and OS.
Albano (107)2024Burkitt Lymphoma78?Retrospective52* (18–80)51:27Dmax + eotPET/CT results, MTV and TLGLIFEx SoftwareDmax and Sdmax were significantly correlated OS and treatment response.
Gong (108)2022Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma (AITL)8165.7Retrospective6353:28Dmax + MTVLIFEx SoftwareDmax was tied to PFS and OS;combination with TMTV improved risk stratifacation
Vergote (109)2022Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL)7530 cm SDmax
60 cmDmax
Retrospective66 (58–72)62–21Dmax and MTVMIMNo correlation for Dmax with PFS and OS

Summary of studies on Dmax in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and other lymphoma subtypes.

*mean; PFS, Progression free survival; OS, Overall survive: MTV, metabolic tumor volume; TLG, total lesion glycolysis; NA, not available.

Zhou et al. (102) demonstrated that Dmax was significantly associated with both PFS and OS in HL patients, similar to findings in DLBCL studies. A more recent study Durmo et al. (103) expanded on these results, showing that Dmax was significantly associated with PFS, especially when combined with interim PET results. This finding suggests Dmax could be integrated into response-adapted treatment strategies increasingly used in HL management.

Moreover, the relationship between Dmax and blood markers, including extracellular vesicle microRNA (EV-miRNA) and thymus activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) was explored with interesting findings (104). They found a significant association between Dmax and these markers, indicating that Dmax may reflect both tumor burden and the tumor microenvironment.

3.3.2 Other lymphoma subtypes

The role of Dmax in lymphoma subtypes beyond DLBCL and HL is underexplored. Li et al. (105) assessed the prognostic value of Dmax in follicular lymphoma (FL), finding that Dmax and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were significantly associated with PFS in a population of 126 grade 1-3a FL patients. The report that a scoring system integrating Dmax and TLG performed better (c-index 0.785) was superior to the predictive capability of the conventional scores FLIPI2, and PRIMA-Prognostic Index (C-index: 0.628–0.701). Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a rare and aggressive lymphoma with a poor prognosis. Xie et al. (106) reported that Dmax, along with bone marrow biopsy results, was significantly associated with both PFS and OS in 95 PTCL patients. Albano et al. (107) showed that Dmax was significantly correlated with OS in adult Burkitt lymphoma patients. Gong et al. (108) found a similar association in Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) patients, with combining Dmax and MTV enhancing risk stratification, echoing results from DLBCL and HL studies.

Conversely, in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) Dmax did not significantly correlate with prognosis, with MTV instead identified as the primary predictor of outcomes (109). This suggests that Dmax’s applicability may vary across lymphoma subtypes, warranting further research to clarify its role in MCL.

Despite the reproducibility of Dmax measurements highlighted in some studies, further automation is needed to ensure consistency and reduce operator dependency. Another challenge is the size and diversity of patient samples: many studies, especially those on rare subtypes like PTCL and AITL, have small cohorts. Large-scale, multicentre studies are needed to validate findings and assess Dmax’s role in broader, more diverse populations. Finally, it is crucial to explore the use of Dmax in patients treated with emerging therapies, such as CAR-T cells or bispecific antibodies. These treatments could alter lymphoma prognostics, making it urgent to evaluate Dmax’s utility in these new therapeutic contexts.

4 Radiomics

4.1 Definition and background

New radiomic PET parameters emerged for histologic assessment and prognosis prediction depending on the intra-lesion 18F-FDG spatial distribution (7, 110, 111). The potential impact of quantitative parameters in the study of hematopoietic malignancies has recently emerged with promising results and revealing some applications such as survival prediction, assessment of bone marrow involvement and differentiation diagnosis between lymphoma and other malignancies. Additionally, artificial intelligence techniques have been utilized in radiomics to forecast factors associated with treatment strategies, such as tumor subtypes, survival rates, and disease recurrence. Predictive models can be developed using multi-parametric radiomic image features to personalize patient decision-making, either independently or in conjunction with established clinical, biological, and laboratory data (111).

4.2 Technical characteristics

In 2021, Rizzo et al. (111) completed a systematic review of original papers in the field of PET radiomics in patients with lymphoma, here updated with new papers up to 31 August 2024 (Table 6). About acquisition protocols, most of papers followed he EANM guidelines for PET/CT acquisition protocols (90, 112–137). About volume selection and contouring, semi-automatic method was used in most of studies (90, 112–118, 122–126, 135–137). The investigation included only the largest tumor site in several studies (112, 113, 119–123, 125, 131–134), while other papers considered all lesions (90, 115–118, 124, 126–129). About data collection, all studies considered conventional semi-quantitative PET/CT parameters at least in the first data analysis, most of papers considered histogram features (112–122, 124–128, 130–137) or higher order textural features (112, 114–137). Some papers included in the final analysis all the extracted features (90, 113, 114, 117–120, 126, 128, 131, 133, 136, 137), while the others performed a selection of the significant features with respect to an outcome before building models. Concerning data analysis, most of studies used a linear regression model (90, 112–116, 118, 119, 121–129, 131–135, 137). Only in few cases, the authors split the patients into a training and a separate test group to independently validate the models in few studies (117, 120, 123, 127, 128, 136). Generally, all these studies had different clinical goals.

Table 6

Author (ref)YearCountryDesignLymphoma typenSoftwareVolume SegmentationExtracted featuresTrain/TestModelSelected features
Ko KY (112)2016TaiwanretrospectiveNasal type NK/T-cell17MATLABSemi-automatic, only lesionSUV, clinical features, HISZE, HIZE, LISZE, busyness, coarness, BWS, RLVNoLineardissimilarity, LISZE
Bouallègue FB (113)2017FranceretrospectiveBulky HL NHL57naSemi-automatic,
one lesion
SUVMax, SUVpeak, SUVmean variance, skewness, kurtosis
MTV, TLG, GLCM, shape
NoLinearAll the extracted
Parvez A (114)2018CanadaretrospectiveNHL82LifeXSemi-automatic,
one to three
GLCM, NGLDM, GLRLM, GLZLM, histogram, sphericityNoLinearAll the extracted
Lue KH (115)2019TaiwanretrospectiveHL35MATLABSemi-automatic, all lesionsSUV, HU, GLRM, GLSZM
grey level
NoLineardifferent for treatment response, PFS and OS
Lue KH (116)2019TaiwanretrospectiveHL42MATLABSemi-automatic, all lesionsAll orders PET featuresNoLinearSUV kurtosis, MTV, INU, RLN,
wavelet HLH
Mayerhoefer ME (117)2019USAretrospectiveMantle Cell Lymphoma107naSemi-automatic, all lesionsSUVMax, SUVmean, SUVpeak,
TMTV, TTLG, GLCM
YesNon linearTMTV, GLCM entropy
Milgrom SA (118)2019USAretrospectiveNHL251IBEX, MIMSemi-automatic, all lesionentropy, uniformity, skewness, GLCMNoLinearAll the extracted
Tatsumi M (119)2019JapanretrospectiveFL45PESTATAutomatic, one lesionHomogeneity, entropey, SRE, LRE, LGZE, HGZENoLinearAll the extracted
Wang H (120)2019ChinaretrospectiveNasal type
NK/T-cell
110LifeX,
LASSO
Semi-automatic, one lesionSUV, histogram, shape, GLCM, NGLDM, GLRLM, GLZLM.YesNon linearAll the extracted
Wu J (121)2019USAretrospectiveDLBCL45BTFAutomatic, one lesionSUV, GLCM GLRLM, GLSIZM
Clinical and genomics
NoLinearSUV-based, gene expression
Zhou Y (122)2019ChinaretrospectiveGastric DLBCL35LifeXSemi-automatic, one lesionAll orders PET featuresNoLinearMTV, kurtosis, volume, sphericity,
HGRE, LRHGE, GLNU, RLNU, LZE, HGZE, LZLGE, LZHGE, ZP
Aide N (123)2020FranceretrospectiveDLBCL132LifeXSemi-automatic, one lesionconventional, GLCM, GLSZM, SZE, LZE, LGZE, SZLGE, SZHGE, SZHGE, LZLGE, LZHGE, GLNU, ZLNU, ZPYesLinearhistogram, LZE, LZGE, LZHGE, GLNU, AS, ZP
Cottereau AS (90)2020FranceretrospectiveDLBCL95LifeXSemi-automatic, all lesionsTMTV, TLG, disseminationNoLinearAll the extracted
Rodriguez T MG (124)2020UruguayprospectivePediatric HL21naSemi-automatic, all lesionsAll orders PET featuresNoLinearGLCM and NGTDM
Sun Y (125)2020ChinaretrospectiveGastric GLBC30Image analyzerManual, one lesionAll orders PET/CT featuresNoLinearSUVMean, frequency, entropy, volume, max diameter, entropy
Wang M (126)2020ChinaretrospectivePrimary Renal/adrenal19LifeXManual, one lesionHistogram, GLCM, GLRM, NGLDM GLZLMNoLinearAll the extracted
Lue KH (127)2021TaiwanretrospectiveDLBCL83OsiriX, LASSOSemi-automatic, all lesionsAll orders PET featuresYesLinearGLN, RLN, GLRLM
Lartizien C (128)2014FranceretrospectiveBCL and HL25SVMManualFirst order, GLCM, GLRLM, GLISZM, GLDMYesLinearKurtosisPET, Haralick coefficients, GLISZ, GLRL
Kong Z (129)2019ChinaretrospectiveCentral nervous lymphoma77PyradiomicsManualSUVmax, MTV, TLG, first order, GLCM GLRLM, GLSZMNoLinearFirst Order, GLCM, GLRLM, GLDM
Lippi M (130)2019ItalyretrospectiveDifferent lymphomas60CGITAManualAll orders PET/CT featuresNoNon linearAll orders PET/CT features
Ou X (131)2019ChinaretrospectiveBreast lymphoma44LifeXManualHistogram, SHAPE, GLCM, GLRLM, NGLDM, GLZLMNoLinearAll the extracted
Xu H (132)2020ChinaretrospectiveHepatic lymphoma100LifeXManualSUV, TLG, HISTO, Shape, GLCM, GLRM, NGLDM, DLZLMNoLinearSUV, TLG, shape, GLCM, GLRLM_GLNU, NGLDM_contrast, GLZLM_GLNU
Ou X (133)2020ChinaretrospectiveBreast lymphoma44LifeXManualHistogram, SHAPE, GLCM, GLRLM, NGLDM, GLZLMNoLinearSix different models
Sun YW (134)2020ChinaretrospectiveGastric Lymphoma79Image Analyzer 2.0ManualHistogram, GLCMNoLinearAll features extracted
Aide N (135)2018FranceretrospectiveDLBCL82LifeXSemi-automaticAll orders PET featuresNoLinearAll features extracted
Mayerhoefer ME (136)2020USAretrospectiveMantle Cell Lymphoma97naSemi-automaticSUV derived, histogram, GLCMYesNon LinearAll features extracted
Kenawy MA (137)2020Egyptretrospectivena44Chang-Gung Image Texture AnalysisSemi-automaticAll orders PET featuresNoLinearAll Features extracted

Characteristics of the included studies (2014–2020), with different clinical purposes (prognostication, histology and bone marrow involvement).

HL, Hodgkin lymphoma; NHL, non-Hodgkin Lymphoma; DLBCL, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; FL, Follicular Lymphoma; SUV, Standardized Uptake Value; MTV, Metabolic Tumor Volume; TLG, Total lesion glycolysis; HU, Hounsfield unit; GLCM, grey-level co-occurrence matrix; NGLDM, neighborhood grey-level different matrix; GLRLM, grey-level run length matrix; GLZLM, grey-level zone length matrix; GLSZM, grey-level size-zone matrix; HISZE, high-intensity short-zone emphasis; HIZE, high-intensity zone emphasis; HU, Hounsfield unit; LISZE, low-intensity short-zone emphasis; BWS, black-white symmetry; RLV, run-length variability; SRE, Short Run emphasis; LRE, long-run emphasis; LGZE, low grey-level zone emphasis; HGZE, high grey-level zone emphasis; SZE, short zone emphasis; LZE, long zone emphasis; SZHGE, short zone high grey level emphasis; LZHGE, short zone emphasis; LZE, long zone emphasis; LZHGE, long zone high grey level emphasis; GLNU, grey level non uniformity for zone; ZLNU, zone length non uniformity; ZP, zone percentage; na, not available.

4.3 Main results in lymphoma

Thus, we decided to divide them in three sub-groups according to clinical purposes: (1) prognosis/outcome; (2) histology and (3) bone marrow involvement researches (Table 6). More common lymphoma subtypes investigated were Hodgkin lymphoma (115, 116, 118, 125), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (90, 121–123, 126, 135), or more than one subtype of lymphoma in the same analysis (113, 114, 125, 127–133, 137). Most of articles aimed to predict outcome, prognosis or survival. Regarding prognostic studies, all papers included in this subgroup revealed a significant association among the radiomic model and patients’ outcome (90, 112–127). However, the radiomic model and lymphoma subtype studied resulted in different patterns of predictive features (imaging, clinical, and/or histopathological) across the various studies (Table 6). All studies examining the ability of radiomic features to distinguish between lymphoma lesions and other malignancies (129–134) or para-physiological sites of FDG uptake (e.g., brown adipose tissue) (128) found a strong correlation between the proposed model and histopathological findings. Similarly, some studies evaluating bone marrow involvement using radiomics demonstrated a significant correlation between the model and the presence of bone marrow involvement (135–137). In Table 7 recent papers published in the time frame 2021–2024 were reported (94, 96, 138–158) (Figure 3). About technical aspects, most of recent papers used semi-automatic volume selection and contouring for radiomic purpose, with an extensive use of all order PET radiomic features (first, second and third order features) (94, 96, 138–151). Moreover, in the last years the use of trained-tested validation systems of the models and non-linear machine-learning methods became more common in scientific literature worldwide (139, 140, 144, 146, 149, 150), with particular regard to academic papers from China. Only few papers started to evaluate multiphase/delta radiomics between baseline and further PET scans (144, 145, 153), or to use external validation cohorts to ensure robust reproducibility of the models (146, 149). About clinical findings, most of recent papers mainly focused on the prognostic use of radiomics (94, 96, 138–155), with particular regard to diffuse large B cell lymphoma (94, 96, 143–147). At the same time, the interest in the use of radiomic feature for histology classification and bone marrow prediction seems to be residual in the last years in scientific literature (156–158). Combined predictive models using both radiomic features of different orders and conventional clinical parameters commonly emerged as the best choice in most of papers (138–140, 146–151). In particular, several radiomic features have been sometimes combined in synthetic radiomics scores, sometimes as a result of machine-learning analysis methods, even though real-world data of those models in routinely context are still missing.

Table 7

Author (ref)YearCountryDesignLymphoma typenSoftwareVolume SegmentationExtracted featuresTrain/TestModelSelected features
Eertink (94)2022NetherlandsretrospectiveDLBCL317AccurateAutomatic (all lesions)All orders PET featuresNoLinearCombined models
Ceriani (96)2022SwitzerlandretrospectiveDLBCL263PyRadiomicsAutomatic (all lesions)All orders PET featuresYesLinearGLCM, GLDM, GLSZM
Jimenez (138)2022Unites Statesretrospectivemiscellaneous169MiMSemi-automaticAll orders PET featuresYesLinearCombined models
Frood (139)2022UKretrospectiveDLBCL229PyRadiomicsSemi-automaticAll order PET featuresYesNon-linearCombined models
Jiang (140)2022ChinaretrospectiveGastrointestinal DLBCL140PyRadiomicsSemi-automaticAll order PET featuresYesNon-linearCombined models
Ortega (141)2023CanadaretrospectiveHL88LifeXSemi-automaticAll order PET featuresNoLinearGLRLM
Triumbari (142)2023ItalyretrospectiveHL227ModdicomSemi-automatic (two targets)All order PET featuresYesLinearGLCM
Li (143)2023ChinaretrospectiveDLBCL129LifeXSemi-automaticAll order PET featuresYesLinearSecond order features
Cui (144)2023ChinaretrospectiveDLBCL271nanaAll order PET features (baseline and after treatment)YesNon-linearna
Samimi (145)2023Iranretrospectivemiscellaneous126LifeXSemi-automaticAll order PET features (dual time point)YesLinearSecond and third order features
Zhao (146)2023ChinaretrospectiveDLBCL240LifeXSemi-automaticAll order PET featuresYes (external)Non-LinearCombined models
Jing (147)2023ChinaretrospectiveDLBCL201LifeXSemi-automaticAll order PET featuresYesLinearCombined models
Ligero (148)2023SpainprospectiveDLBCL
(CAR-T)
93MiMSemi-automaticAll order PET featuresYesLinearRadiomic scores, Combined models
Driessen (149)2023NetherlandsprospectiveHL113AccurateSemi-automaticAll order PET featuresYes (external)Non-linearCombined models
Carlier (150)2024FranceprospectiveDLBCL545PyRadiomicsSemi-automaticAll order PET featuresYesNon-linearCombined models
Luo (151)2024ChinaretrospectiveNasal Type NK/T126PyRadiomicsSemi-automaticAll order PET featuresYesLinearRadiomic scores, Combined models
Albano (152)2024ItalyretrospectivePrimary Gastric91LifeXSemi-automaticFirst order featuresNoLinearShape sphericity
Yousefirizi (153)2024CanadaretrospectivePrimary Mediastinal31MiM, PyRadiomicsSemi-automaticFirst and second order features (delta radiomics)YesNon-linearBaseline Radiomics
Jing (154)2024ChinaretrospectiveDLBCL126LifeXSemi-automaticAll order PET featuresYesLinearCombined models
Jing (155)2024ChinaretrospectiveDLBCL239LifeXSemi-automaticnananana
Zhu (156)2021ChinaretrospectiveRenal Lymphoma21LifeXManualHistogram, GLCM, GLRM, GLZLMNoLinearna
Lovinfosse (157)2022BelgiumretrospectiveMultiple, Sarcoidosis420RadiomiXManualAll orders PET featuresNoNon-linearCombined radiomic models
Han (158)2021KorearetrospectiveDLBCL144LifexManualAll orders PET featuresNoLinearGLZLM

Update on recent studies (2021–2024), with different clinical purposes (prognostication, histology and bone marrow involvement).

HL, Hodgkin lymphoma; NHL, non-Hodgkin Lymphoma; DLBCL, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; FL, Follicular Lymphoma; SUV, Standardized Uptake Value; MTV, Metabolic Tumor Volume; TLG, Total lesion glycolysis; HU, Hounsfield unit; GLCM, grey-level co-occurrence matrix; NGLDM, neighborhood grey-level different matrix; GLRLM, grey-level run length matrix; GLZLM, grey-level zone length matrix; GLSZM, grey-level size-zone matrix; HISZE, high-intensity short-zone emphasis; HIZE, high-intensity zone emphasis; HU, Hounsfield unit; LISZE, low-intensity short-zone emphasis; BWS, black-white symmetry; RLV, run-length variability; SRE, Short Run emphasis; LRE, long-run emphasis; LGZE, low grey-level zone emphasis; HGZE, high grey-level zone emphasis; SZE, short zone emphasis; LZE, long zone emphasis; SZHGE, short zone high grey level emphasis; LZHGE, short zone emphasis; LZE, long zone emphasis; LZHGE, long zone high grey level emphasis; GLNU, grey level non uniformity for zone; ZLNU, zone length non uniformity; ZP, zone percentage; na, not available.

Figure 3

5 Discussion and conclusions

In this review, we focused on the potential role of semiquantitative parameters derived by 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT in lymphoma. Despite different functions described, all these variables seem to be promising and effective prognostic factors. However, we have also some limitations such as the retrospective nature of most articles, the relatively small number of patients recruited and the wide heterogeneity of patients included concerning epidemiological and clinical aspects. For these reasons, other investigations on larger populations would be shareable. Besides, many authors analyzed only one kind of features excluding the others and this strongly limits the possibility to exhaustively understand the meaning of these variables. Research including all these features (MTV, TLG; Dmax, SMI and radiomics) could better comprehend the relationship between them and derive combined model to predict prognosis (Figure 4). The integration of these semiquantitative PET-based biomarkers into clinical trials and everyday clinical practice appears imminent; however, several challenges must be addressed before these biomarkers are fully ready for widespread use. For these reasons, visual score or quantitative extension derived in pediatric population, like qPET (159) that utilizes SUVpeak of the residual lesion and average uptake of the liver, are yet utilized.

Figure 4

Furthermore, these interesting parameters still need to be tested in light of the new treatments and new technologies that have been developed. The role of PET-based biomarkers in patients treated with novel agents is still largely uncharted; however, quantitative imaging holds promise for developing risk-adapted treatment strategies for lymphoma patients. The ultimate aim is to create decision-making models that can more accurately identify those who will benefit most from specific therapies. The technological progress in nuclear medicine with the introduction of “new total body” PET scanners could be a significant advantage in this field. Conventional PET/CT systems usually have a 20 cm wide detector ring and the scan takes normally 25–30 min according to the patient height and time for bed position. With the total body scanners detector ring up to 200 cm and a true whole-body PET/CT can be performed in a few minutes with superior image quality compared to current PET/CT systems. Moreover, with these new scanners the uptake detection increases significantly affecting a dramatic change in PET quantification. Moreover, another potential issue is the different acquisition protocols available in every department. It is well known that the application of TOF can impact the image quality and interpretation in the clinical PET data (160), such as also semiquantitative parameters as SUV, MTV and TLG. However, specific studies on lymphoma are lacking.

This review presents some limitations such as the non-systematic nature of this review, selecting arbitrary the articles to include, the long time period of included studies and the heterogeneity of patients included (in terms of disease, technical features, …).

Statements

Author contributions

DA: Conceptualization, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. MarR: Investigation, Methodology, Software, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. RD: Data curation, Formal analysis, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. AV: Software, Supervision, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. AF: Formal analysis, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. AR: Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. ManR: Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. DP: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. FB: Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. SA: Supervision, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

Funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. SA and DP are funded by the Italian Ministry of Health (GR-2019-12370372).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

Generative AI statement

The author(s) declare that no Gen AI was used in the creation of this manuscript.

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Summary

Keywords

PET/CT, lymphoma, FDG, sarcopenia, MTV, TLG, Dmax, radiomics

Citation

Albano D, Ravanelli M, Durmo R, Versari A, Filice A, Rizzo A, Racca M, Pizzuto DA, Bertagna F and Annunziata S (2024) Semiquantitative 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT-based parameters role in lymphoma. Front. Med. 11:1515040. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1515040

Received

22 October 2024

Accepted

04 December 2024

Published

18 December 2024

Volume

11 - 2024

Edited by

Giorgio Treglia, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Switzerland

Reviewed by

Akram Al-Ibraheem, King Hussein Cancer Center, Jordan

Matteo Bauckneht, University of Genoa, Italy

Sara Pacella, IRCCS Ca’ Granda Foundation Maggiore Policlinico Hospital, Italy

Updates

Copyright

*Correspondence: Domenico Albano, ;

Disclaimer

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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