Novel PET Imaging Techniques in the Management of Hematologic Malignancies

Hematology is probably the most relevant application field of PET since the widespread adoption of PET in the 1990s. Currently, the use of PET is indispensable in the natural history of almost all onco-hematologic diseases. With the advent of innovative therapies, such as CAR-T, the use of PET has gained further clinical diagnostic value. Significant innovations are also seen in the therapeutic and theranostic fields, and greater developments are anticipated in the future. Ultimately, the clinical applications of PET in onco-hematology likely represent the largest portion of the daily workload in most PET centers, and clinical hematologists have long relied on these molecular imaging techniques. In the current issue, we have asked leading international experts in onco-hematology imaging and therapy to contribute their insights on the state-of-the-art applications of PET and therapeutic techniques in major hematologic diseases and to provide perspectives on potential future diagnostic and therapeutic applications in this field. Despite the necessarily limited space, we have endeavored to cover all relevant topics. Contributions have come from top experts in both established application fields, which constitute the daily practice, such as in the article “[18F]FDG PET Imaging for Therapy Assessment in Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas" by the group led by Prof Roland Hustinx, and in new diagnostic possibilities in the article "New PET Tracers for Lymphoma." Therapeutic applications also have an important focus: the past and future of therapeutic applications in lymphomas have been brightly reported by a leading expert, such as Prof Elba Etchebehere, and collaborators. We have given ample space to current and future diagnostic applications in Multiple Myeloma, including a comparison of PET imaging with whole-body MR imaging. This issue would not be complete without mentioning the contribution of new PET machines with long axial fields of view, with an interesting article by Prof Nardo from the University of California, Davis, or the applications of PET in Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Trafficking, radiomics, or new quantitative PET methods in onco-hematology. In conclusion, the use of PET and radioligand therapies in onco-hematology constitutes the present of our daily activities, but innovations in new theranostic radiopharmaceuticals and technological advancements ensure an increasingly bright future and an ever-greater significance of molecular imaging in onco-hematology. We want to thank all the authors and collaborators for their spontaneous, free, and enthusiastic contributions to this project, which will undoubtedly be a valuable resource for both clinicians and imaging experts.