title: The clinical value of tumor burden at diagnosis in Hodgkin lymphoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The authors investigated the clinical role of tumor burden (TB) in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, relating this parameter to most of the current clinical and prognostic factors and to the best predictive multifactorial models.
  
  
  METHODS
  The volume of TB at diagnosis was measured directly from the initial staging computed tomography scans in 351 patients who were treated on standard protocols. The mean patient age was 34.0 years +/- 16.4 years. Forty-six patients had clinical Stage I disease, 201 patients had Stage II disease, 64 patients had Stage III disease, and 40 patients had Stage IV disease. There were 146 symptomatic patients. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and time to treatment failure (TTF) were the time parameters evaluated in the multivariate analysis. Logistic regression was applied according to those who achieved or failed complete remission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean TB normalized to body surface area (rTB) was 137.8 cm(3)/m(2) +/- 124.7 cm(3)/m(2) (range, 1.9-694.5 cm(3)/m(2)). In multivariate analysis, rTB was the best predictor of TTF, DFS, and complete remission; the second best predictor of OS after patient age; and largely superior to all prognostic models analyzed. For the same stage and treatment, patients who were destined to clinical failure had an initial rTB 60-108% higher compared with the initial rTB in patients who achieved a cure, whereas differences in drug dose intensity were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the current study, it was found that the rTB, as a prognostic factor, was more effective than and was independent of hitherto used factors and scores. The rTB may be a tool for evaluating the curative potential of treatment combinations, allowing physicians and patients to make better therapeutic choices earlier.
authors.affiliation: Medicina Interna e Oncologia Medica, Universitá di Pavia, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy. gobbipg@smatteo.pv.it
authors.forename: Paolo G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Broglia
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Giulio
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mantelli
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anselmo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Merli
authors.forename: Pier L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Zinzani
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Callea
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iannitto
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paulli
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garioni
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ascari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001830:Body Surface Area; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor