Early positron emission tomography (PET) restaging: a predictive final response in Hodgkin's disease patients.
BACKGROUND
It is important to distinguish between responders to standard treatment and non-responders Hodgkin's disease (HD) patients.


METHODS
Between June 2003-September 2004, in our institute, 40 newly-diagnosed patients with advanced stage HD were consecutively treated with ABVD chemotherapy for six cycles. All these patients underwent staging/restaging: computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) at time 0, PET after two cycles, CT and PET after four and six cycles.


RESULTS
After two cycles (PET-2), the PET was negative in 28/40 (70%), positive in 8/40 (20%), and minimal residual uptake (MRU) was present in the remaining four (10%) patients. After treatment, among eight patients who were PET-2+, seven showed refractory disease and one had relapse after 3 months. All four patients with MRU at the PET-2 became PET- during the further four cycles and, after treatment, three were in complete response (CR) and one relapsed after 5 months. All 28 PET negative patients at the PET-2 remained PET negative and all of them were in CR after treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The PET use for early (after two cycles) response assessment in HD patients is a significant step forward and has the potential to help physicians make crucial decisions about further treatment.
Zinzani
P L
PL
Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology L. e A. Seràgnoli, University of Bologna, and Nuclear Medicine, S'Orsola Hospital, Italy. plzinzo@med.unibo.it
Tani
M
M
Fanti
S
S
Alinari
L
L
Musuraca
G
G
Marchi
E
E
Stefoni
V
V
Castellucci
P
P
Fina
M
M
Farshad
M
M
Pileri
S
S
Baccarani
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011379:Prognosis