title: Value of follow-up procedures in patients with large-cell lymphoma who achieve a complete remission.
abstract: Salvage therapy for relapsed large-cell lymphoma (LCL) is more effective in patients with minimal disease, suggesting that early detection of relapse might increase the chance of long-term survival. To determine whether current follow-up procedures are effective in identifying preclinical disease, we analyzed patterns of relapse in 139 LCL patients who achieved a complete remission (CR) with high/moderate-dose methotrexate with leucovorin, bleomycin, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dexamethasone (M/m-BACOD). The timing and results of all posttreatment follow-up tests were examined in the 36 patients who relapsed from complete remission (CR) and 46 controls who remain in CR. Despite conscientious posttreatment follow-up, only two of the 36 relapses (6%) were detected before the development of symptoms. Sixty-seven percent of patients relapsed in new disease sites (42% in new and old sites, and 25% in new sites only). Consistent with this observation, the tests most sensitive to clinical relapse were those not targeted to specific sites of disease: gallium scan (sensitivity, 90%), physical examination (80%), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (65%). Of screening tests performed, only LDH was successful in detecting preclinical relapse, with a sensitivity of 42% and specificity of 85% for impending symptomatic relapse. These results indicate that conventional screening was ineffective in detecting preclinical relapse in LCL patients. We recommend prospective evaluation of a strategy that (1) screens with a frequency appropriate to a patient's risk of relapse, (2) uses sensitive test(s) not targeted to specific sites, and (3) limits aggressive screening to those high-risk patients eligible for potentially curative salvage therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Weeks
authors.forename: B Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Yeap
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Canellos
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shipp
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D003907:Dexamethasone; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008727:Methotrexate