Measuring tumour response: RECIST 1.1 and beyond

Abstract

•. Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) standardises the method of response assessment within oncology clinical trials, allowing for results of different clinical trials to be compared.•. RECIST is based on anatomical measurement.•. RECIST 1.1 has revised some of the criteria requirements with respect to: target lesion number and measurement, lymph node measurement and the use of non-target lesions alone for overall response assessment.•. There remain some challenges for RECIST as biological response to treatment may not always result in a reduction in tumour size.•. There is an increasing requirement to measure functional parameters such as tumour metabolic activity, cellularity and vascularisation in order to acquire adequate data to effectively assess response. Currently these do not form part of the RECIST.The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) were introduced in 2000 to provide a standardised method for assessing response to treatments to enable the results of diff...