August 2025 – A new study led by Dr. Clemens Mingels demonstrated that total-body PET/CT scans can safely reduce radiation doses for assessing lymphoma therapy response, potentially cutting exposure by up to 92% without compromising accuracy.
In a study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 24 lymphoma patients underwent [18F]FDG scans at standard 3 MBq/kg doses, with simulations testing reductions down to 0.125 MBq/kg. Doses as low as 0.25 MBq/kg at 1-hour post-injection and 1.0 MBq/kg at 2 hours maintained reliable tumor measurements and Deauville scores for treatment evaluation. Tumor metrics like SUVmax and metabolic volume showed no significant changes, though noise increased at ultra-low doses, risking false positives in response
assessment.
This advance, leveraging the scanner's high sensitivity, is especially beneficial for young patients, children, and pregnant women facing multiple scans and secondary cancer risks. Further trials are planned to validate real-world low-dose applications.