OBJECTIVES

: Our objective was to study the cost effectiveness of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) surveillance for first remission.

METHODS

: A systematic MEDLINE search was conducted by pairing relevant keywords to identify English language articles describing costs and utilities involved with the usage of PET/CT surveillance in patients with diffused large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

RESULTS

: In a 3 year follow-up study, PET/CT resulted in similar medical costs along with similar clinical outcomes as compared to no surveillance (Korean won 2,499,689 vs. 5,229,901, p <0.755) but resulted in increased outpatient visits (Suh et al.,Huntington et al., CONCLUSIONS

: As surveillance for first remission with PET/CT is providing similar clinical and utility outcomes at a significant high costs, its usage should be adopted more wisely in patients with DLBCL.