Evaluation of therapy response in children with untreated malignant lymphomas using technetium-99m-sestamibi.
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between 99mTc-sestamibi accumulation in tumors and response to chemotherapy in children with untreated malignant lymphomas.


METHODS
Twenty-four children with malignant lymphoma (16 with Hodgkin's disease and 8 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) were studied with 201Tl and then with 99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy before any therapeutic intervention. Visual and quantitative interpretation of 201Tl and 99mTc-sestamibi scans were performed. Visual uptake scores > or = 2+ were considered positive studies for 201Tl and 99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy. Remission rates were evaluated at the end of induction therapy; patients were then followed clinically for 1-2 yr.


RESULTS
All 17 patients who had positive 99mTc-sestamibi scans subsequently had a complete response to chemotherapy; all seven patients who had negative 99mTc-sestamibi scans subsequently had partial or no response to chemotherapy, irrespective of the lymphoma type. The mean tumor-to-background ratios of patients with complete response and with partial or no response were 1.395 +/- 0.2 and 1.031 +/- 0.05 (p = 0.0002), respectively. Thallium-201 scintigraphy results were not related to the response to chemotherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Technetium-99m-sestamibi scintigraphy can provide information predicting the response to chemotherapy in patients with malignant lymphoma.
Kapucu
L O
LO
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
Akyüz
C
C
Vural
G
G
Oguz
A
A
Atasever
T
T
Büyükpamukçu
M
M
Unlü
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012074:Remission Induction; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes
D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi