title: Predictive role of positron emission tomography in the outcome of patients with follicular lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) after induction treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 45 previously untreated patients with FL were studied with PET and computed tomography (CT) scans after chemotherapy induction treatment (fludarabine-containing regimens and CHOP [cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone] chemotherapy). Histopathologic analysis was performed when considered necessary.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After treatment, 4 of 5 patients (80%) who had CT-negative/PET-positive findings experienced relapse/progression, compared with only 1 of 22 patients (4.5%) in the CT-negative/PET-negative subset. Among the 18 patients with CT-positive findings, all 6 patients (100%) who had PET-positive findings experienced relapse or progression, compared with 1 of 12 patients (8.3%) who had PET-negative findings. The 2-year progression-free survival rates were 20% and 90% in the CT-negative/PET-positive and CT-positive/PET-negative subsets, respectively (P = 0.0031). During the follow-up, 2 patients, who presented a PET positivity with a negative CT scan, underwent a lymph node biopsy, which confirmed the presence of FL infiltration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with FL, persisting PET positivity is predictive of early disease progression, because it is still highly likely that patients with PET-negative findings will ultimately progress, but this has not yet been manifested during the period of observation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology and Oncology L & A Seragnoli, University of Bologna, Italy. plzinzo@med.unibo.it
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Zinzani
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Musuraca
authors.forename: Lapo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alinari
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fanti
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stefoni
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.forename: Mariapaola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fina
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pellegrini
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castellucci
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farsad
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baccarani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome