title: Early interim 18F-FDG PET in Hodgkin's lymphoma: evaluation on 304 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The use of early (interim) PET restaging during first-line therapy of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) in clinical practice has considerably increased because of its ability to provide early recognition of treatment failure allowing patients to be transferred to more intensive treatment regimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between June 1997 and June 2009, 304 patients with newly diagnosed HL (147 early stage and 157 advanced stage) were treated with the ABVD regimen at two Italian institutions. Patients underwent PET staging and restaging at baseline, after two cycles of therapy and at the end of the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 304 patients, 53 showed a positive interim PET scan and of these only 13 (24.5%) achieved continuous complete remission (CCR), whereas 251 patients showed a negative PET scan and of these 231 (92%) achieved CCR. Comparison between interim PET-positive and interim PET-negative patients indicated a significant association between PET findings and 9-year progression-free survival and 9-year overall survival, with a median follow-up of 31 months. Among the early-stage patients, 19 had a positive interim PET scan and only 4 (21%) achieved CCR; among the 128 patients with a negative interim PET scan, 122 (97.6%) achieved CCR. Among the advanced-stage patients, 34 showed a persistently positive PET scan with only 9 (26.4%) achieving CCR, whereas 123 showed a negative interim PET scan with 109 (88.6%) achieving CCR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate the role of an early PET scan as a significant step forward in the management of patients with early-stage or advanced-stage HL.
authors: Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology L. e A. Seràgnoli, Policlinico Sant'Orsola-Malpighi, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors: Pier Luigi
authors: PL
authors: Zinzani
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Rigacci
authors: Vittorio
authors: V
authors: Stefoni
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Broccoli
authors: Benedetta
authors: B
authors: Puccini
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Castagnoli
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Vaggelli
authors: Lucia
authors: L
authors: Zanoni
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Argnani
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Baccarani
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Fanti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D001761:Bleomycin; D014747:Vinblastine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D004317:Doxorubicin