FDG-PET for assessment of early treatment response after four cycles of chemotherapy in patients with advanced-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma has a high negative predictive value.
BACKGROUND
As positron emission tomography (PET) seems to be a powerful prognostic marker in the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), we analysed the prognostic value of PET after four cycles of combination therapy with bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine and prednisone (BEACOPP) in patients with advanced-stage HL.


METHODS
From January 2004 to March 2007, 50 patients with newly diagnosed HL in clinical stages IIB with large mediastinal mass or extranodal disease, III and IV were treated according to the HD15 protocol of the German Hodgkin Study Group. All patients received a PET scan after four cycles of BEACOPP (PET-4).


RESULTS
Of the overall group, 14 of 50 patients had a positive PET-4 while 36 had a negative PET-4. At a median observation time of 25 months, 2 of the 14 patients with a positive PET-4 had progressed or relapsed, while there was no progression or relapse in PET-4-negative patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate a very good negative predictive value of PET-4 in advanced-stage HL patients treated with BEACOPP.
Markova
J
J
Department of Clinical Hematology, University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. markova@fnkv.cz
Kobe
C
C
Skopalova
M
M
Klaskova
K
K
Dedeckova
K
K
Plütschow
A
A
Eich
H T
HT
Dietlein
M
M
Engert
A
A
Kozak
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018450:Disease Progression; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D055815:Young Adult
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D001761:Bleomycin; D011344:Procarbazine; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone