title: Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma: early prediction of outcome with 67Ga scintigraphy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate use of gallium 67 scintigraphy early during chemotherapy to predict the outcome in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 118 patients, 67Ga scintigraphy was performed after one cycle of chemotherapy in 51 patients, after a median of 3.5 cycles in 97 patients, and both in 30 patients. Computed tomography (CT) was performed after a median of 3.5 cycles of treatment in 87 patients. The failure-free survival was compared between patients with positive or negative 67Ga or CT scans by using the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis helped determine the relation between 67Ga scintigraphic and CT findings and the outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The differences in failure-free survival between patients with positive versus negative 67Ga scans after one cycle of treatment (P < .001) and at midtreatment (P < .001) were significant. There was no statistically significant difference in failure-free survival between patients with positive versus negative CT findings during treatment. In multivariate analysis, 67Ga scintigraphy after one cycle (P < .045) and at midtreatment (P < .006) was an independent factor associated with outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gallium 67 scintigraphic findings after one cycle of chemotherapy and at midtreatment are predictive of outcome in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. CT findings are not predictive. Early 67Ga scintigraphy during chemotherapy is a good indicator of patients who may benefit from a change to a more aggressive treatment. A future study is necessary to investigate the potential effect of early change of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Front
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bar-Shalom
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haim
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Epelbaum
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frenkel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gaitini
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Kolodny
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Israel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes