Positron emission tomography/computed tomography in the diagnosis, staging, and prognostic evaluation of natural killer/T-cell lymphoma

Abstract

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTL) is a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that is associated with Epstein–Barr virus infection. The clinicopathological features of NKTL are unique among lymphomas. NKTL is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis in the absence of effective treatment. Accurate diagnosis and staging are essential to ensure an appropriate treatment strategy and accurate prognosis of NKTL. 18F-Fluorodexoyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) is a valuable technique in the diagnosis, staging, and prognostic evaluation of various types of malignant tumors, including NKTL. PET/CT imaging studies of patients with NKTL have shown that NKTL is 18F-FDG-avid and that PET/CT is superior to conventional methods in detecting cutaneous and extracutaneous lesions. We herein review recent PET/CT studies that have provided considerable insight into the diagnosis, staging, prognostic evaluation, and treatment effectiveness in patients with NKTL.

Tumor Energy Metabolism and Potential of 3-Bromopyruvate as an Inhibitor of Aerobic Glycolysis: Implications in Tumor Treatment

“…A subsequent study revealed that the isoform of mitochondria bound HK was identified as HK-II, the predominantly expressed HK isozyme in malignant tumor cells [24]. Based on this prominent phenotype of tumor cells, the “Warburg effect” has already been used for tumor imaging with 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ( 18 FDG-PET) technology (Figure 3A) [2,5,25,26]. 18 FDG-PET technology is based on the fact that a glucose analog (2-deoxyglucose, 2-DOG) can be phosphorylated by mitochondrial HK-II to produce 2-deoxyglucose-6-phosphate (2-DOG-6-P) that is not metabolized further and, thus, accumulates in tumor cells with much higher levels than that in normal cells, in which 2-DOG is radiolabeled with 18 F isotope ( 18 FDG).…”

“…A typical hot spot on PET imaging indicates the presence of solid tumors. Now 18 FDG-PET technology is widely used for detecting malignant solid tumors and monitoring their progress or treatment effect [25].…”

Primary skeletal muscle lymphoma with unusual soft tissue metastases in the stomach and pancreas detected by 18F-FDG PET/CT

“…Although the secondary extranodal disease is common in lymphoma, it rarely occurs as a primary site of lymphoma [9]. Primary skeletal muscle involvement occurs in only 0.1% of all lymphomas [7].…”

“…Although the stomach is the most common site of involvement as the primary extra-nodal site or secondary to disseminated nodal disease [7], majority of secondary gastric NHL couldn't be detected by conventional diagnostic methods [8]. 18 F-FDG PET/CT is a valuable diagnostic test for identifying extranodal sites involvement in lymphoma staging, treatment response or recurrence evaluation [8,9] and it is more sensitive www.journals.viamedica.pl/nuclear_medicine_review Fatemeh Farahmandfar et al, Muscle lymphoma with unusual metastases Clinical vignette and specific than conventional imaging for assessment of disease extension [10,11]. Here, we showed an unusual pattern of NHL by emphasizing the role of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in the differentiation of recurrence from post-radiation changes, as well as showing the extension of the disease.…”

Comparison of Nasopharyngeal MR, 18 F-FDG PET/CT, and 18 F-FDG PET/MR for Local Detection of Natural Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma, Nasal Type

“…Almost all cases of ENKTL are 18 F-FDG avid (9,10), and the efficacy of 18 F-FDG PET/CT has been confirmed in the assessment of ENKTL (11)(12)(13)(14). Magnetic resonance (MR) with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has been reported to better distinguish the extent of tumor invasion in earlystage ENKTL owing to its ability to reveal fine anatomical details (15); however, the technique still warrants further validation.…”