Lymphoma: Update on the Role of Imaging in the Understanding, Diagnosis, Treatment and Management

Dear Colleagues,

Lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system, which is a part of the body’s germ-fighting network. They include Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). There are more than 30 unique types of lymphoma, each with a peculiar and distinct natural history. This biological heterogeneity gives rise to marked differences with respect to epidemiological, pathological, clinical and imaging findings.

An accurate assessment of the stage of disease seems to be crucial for the selection of the appropriate therapy. Imaging techniques, such as PET/CT, MRI and CT, are used for the diagnosis, the evaluation of the extension of disease, treatment response evaluation and prognostication. 18F-FDG PET/CT is considered the gold standard for FDG-avid lymphoma variants (HL, DLBCL and FL), despite recent evidence that underlines a potential usefulness of other variants, such as MCL and BL. CT and MRI are recommended when the role of PET is limited.

The technological evolution with the introduction of new scanners (PET/MRI, digital PET or total PET), radio-tracers (Ga68-Pentixafor) or image analysis techniques (texture analysis) may have a huge impact in the future.

The aim of this Special Issue is to discuss the current and future clinical applications of imaging tools in the study of lymphoma, with a focus on diagnosis, treatment response evaluation and prognostication.

Dr. Domenico Albano
Prof. Dr. Giorgio Treglia
Topic Editors