REVIEW  IMMUNOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE IN SOLID TUMOURS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS IN RESPONSE TO IMMUNOTHERAPY Free access

The Quarterly Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2020 June;64(2):175-85

DOI: 10.23736/S1824-4785.20.03251-3

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Update on tumor metabolism and patterns of response to immunotherapy

Angelo CASTELLO, Egesta LOPCI ✉

Nuclear Medicine Unit, Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital-IRCCS, Rozzano, Milan, Italy

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) represent a cornerstone in cancer treatment. However, the peculiarity of immune response, determining distinctive response patterns and toxicity events, challenges the conventional response criteria. Therefore, the effective tumor response and the real clinical benefit cannot be demonstrated adequately. In this context, recent studies using 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) have shown promising results for therapeutic monitoring during ICI, although further research is needed to confirm its potentials. In this review, we focus on the latest evidences and challenges regarding the assessment of morphological and metabolic parameters in the evaluation of ICI therapy. We will also discuss a wide range of emerging imaging-based biomarkers for anti-checkpoint therapy as well as their challenges in the clinical practice.

KEY WORDS: Positron emission tomography computed tomography; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Immunotherapy; Biomarkers