Stages I-III follicular lymphoma: role of CT of the abdomen and pelvis in follow-up studies.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficiency of axial computed tomography (CT) in detecting relapses of stage I, II, or III follicular lymphoma.


METHODS
A total of 328 patients with previously untreated stage I, II, or III follicular lymphoma were treated between 1978 and 1994. Two hundred fifty-seven patients achieved complete response; 78 who relapsed form the basis of this study. Fifteen patients had stage I; 28, stage II; and 35, stage III disease. Fifteen patients underwent radiation therapy; 12, chemotherapy; and 51, radiation and chemotherapy. Medical records were reviewed to analyze the yield of abdominal and pelvic CT in detecting recurrence relative to the yield of standard clinical, hematologic, and imaging studies. A positive study was defined as one that led to or was abnormal at the diagnosis of recurrence.


RESULTS
The median follow-up was 101 months. Eleven relapses were detected only at abdominal, pelvic, or both abdominal and pelvic CT.


CONCLUSIONS
Fourteen percent (11 of 78) of the relapses were detected solely at abdominal and/or pelvic CT. Eleven (4.3%) of the 257 patients who achieved complete response benefited from abdominal and pelvic CT. The yield of the routine use of abdominal and pelvic CT in follow-up studies appears to be low for stages I-III follicular lymphoma.
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Y K
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Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
Ha
C S
CS
Samuels
B I
BI
Cabanillas
F
F
Hess
M A
MA
Cox
J D
JD
D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010388:Pelvis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed