[Oncological imaging for therapy response assessment]
1Klinik für Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin, Bergmannsheil und Kinderklinik Buer GmbH, Schernerweg 4, 45894, Gelsenkirchen, Deutschland, joerg@stattaus.de.
Der Radiologe
|December 12, 2013
Summary
This review covers radiological methods for assessing cancer therapy response using tumor size measurements. It highlights challenges with RECIST criteria, especially in targeted therapies, and introduces functional imaging techniques.
Area of Science:
- Oncological imaging
- Radiology
- Cancer therapy response assessment
Background:
- Accurate assessment of therapy response is crucial in oncology.
- Tumor size measurement using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) is a standard method.
- Challenges exist in size-dependent assessment, particularly with targeted therapies and phenomena like pseudoprogression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review various radiological methods for evaluating oncological therapy response.
- To discuss the importance and limitations of RECIST criteria.
- To introduce functional imaging techniques for cancer imaging.
Main Methods:
- Review of established RECIST criteria for tumor size measurement.
- Discussion of challenges in response assessment (e.g., pseudoprogression, targeted therapy).
- Introduction to different functional imaging techniques in oncological practice.
Main Results:
- RECIST criteria provide a standardized way to categorize therapy response (CR, PR, SD, PD).
- Size-dependent assessment faces limitations, necessitating complementary methods.
- Functional imaging offers alternative and supplementary approaches for response evaluation.
Conclusions:
- Radiological methods, including RECIST and functional imaging, are vital for therapy response assessment in oncology.
- Understanding the limitations of RECIST is essential for accurate interpretation.
- Functional imaging presents valuable tools for practical oncological imaging needs.
