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to baseline clinical characteristics (aaIPI). Part B is the publication of the original HOVON-84 study in which the primary endpoint is complete metabolic response at the end of induction treatment PET. For this main outcome an extensive central review procedure was performed and the study forms the basis for the other chapters in this thesis. Chapter 7 describes a phase II study of aggressive B-cell lymphoma with MYC rearrangement treated with a combination of R-CHOP and lenalidomide using [18F]FDG PET for interim- and end-of-treatment response assessment with complete metabolic response as the primary endpoint. In this study we investigated the positive- and negative predictive value of interim [18F] FDG PET for the prediction of end-of-treatment result as a secondary endpoint. The overall aim of our research project was to validate interim [18F]FDG PET as a predictive biomarker of response to first-line therapy in DLBCL patients using a meta-analysis consisting of individual patient data from 1692 patients originally included in 8 international studies (Chapter 8).
In Chapter 9 the results of the studies included in this thesis are summarized and discussed. Finally, the clinical implications are emphasized and future directions are suggested.
General introduction
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