PET imaging: implications for the future of therapy monitoring with PET/CT in oncology

Among the methods based on molecular imaging, the measure of the tracer uptake variation between a baseline and follow-up scan with the SUV and [18F]FDG-PET/CT is a very powerful tool for assessing response to treatment in oncology. However, the development of new targeted therapeutics and tissue pharmacokinetic evaluation of existing ones are increasingly requiring therapy monitoring with alternative tracers and indicators. In parallel, the potential predictive and prognostic value of other image-derived parameters, such as tumour volume and textural features, relating to tumoral heterogeneity, has recently emerged from several works.

► Beyond standard uptake values and visual assessments of PET/CT images.
► Issues of quantification, segmentation and standardization in FDG PET/CT therapy monitoring.
► Alternative PET tracers.
► Tumour uptake heterogeneity characterization through textural feature analysis.