Prognostic significance of FDG-PET/CT in determining upfront autologous stem cell transplantation for the treatment of peripheral T cell lymphomas

This observational study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of interim and final 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) responses to upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCLs). A total of 118 patients, from two independent institutions, with newly diagnosed PTCLs were enrolled, and 96 of them were evaluated. PET/CT was assessed at diagnosis, and during and after the primary treatment. Clinical outcomes of interim and final PET/CT were compared between transplanted and non-transplanted patients. The responses of PET/CT were assessed based on visual analysis using the Deauville five-point scale (5-PS). Clinicopathological features of transplanted patients ( n = 37) were similar to those of non-transplanted patients ( n = 59). After a median follow-up of 60.8 months, only final PET/CT response based on 5-PS was the independent prognostic factor of survival outcome ( P