NHL is caused by genetic changes in the lymphocytes. The disease can affect lymph nodes, bone marrow, lungs, liver and spleen. Prof. Renz emphasizes the need for less stressful radiological examinations: "To assess the response, we want to rely even more on radiological examinations, which are less stressful for the children and adolescents affected.”
The aim is to filter information from CT and MRI images in such a way that it can be clearly assigned to a lymphoma stage. This should enable automated image analysis that reliably determines the tumor stage and the risk of relapse. The researchers are using the "NHL-Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster Registry", which has been collecting clinical data from children and adolescents of all NHL subgroups in Germany since 2012.