Multimodality imaging using PET/CT (18F)-fluorodeoxyglucose for radiotherapy field delineation of localized Hodgkin lymphoma.

It is now well demonstrated that (18F)-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT is the most accurate imaging method for determining disease extent in Hodgkin lymphoma. Thus, up-front PET/CT is mandatory for involved node radiation therapy design. For a proper use of this new imaging modality for radiotherapy, some adaptations should be made to the PET/CT acquisition as well as to the report. Initial PET/CT should be performed in the radiotherapy treatment position. Nuclear medicine physicians should report to the radiation oncologist the precise location of each involved lymph node, for which the use of a common atlas of upper diaphragmatic nodal stations could be useful. All these new procedures have to be implemented in close collaboration among the different medical specialists providing care to Hodgkin lymphoma patients. We report here the usual procedures of PET/CT acquisition in the radiotherapy environment and propose a more sophisticated description of the different lymph nodes for a more efficient nuclear medicine report to the radiation oncologist.