title: Interim positron emission tomography and clinical outcome in patients with early stage Hodgkin lymphoma treated with combined modality therapy.
abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate whether interim positron emission tomography (iPET) is prognostic in a cohort of patients with early stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) homogeneously treated with 3-4 cycles of ABVD (adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine) followed by 30 Gy involved field radiotherapy. Eighty patients were selected (stage I-IIA HL, availability of iPET, minimum follow-up of 12 months), and after central review, 70 were judged negative (iPET-: 87.5%) and 10 positive (iPET+: 12.5%). The two groups were then analyzed for response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Only one out of 70 iPET- patients relapsed, with 69 in continuous complete remission (CCR). All 10 iPET + patients achieved a complete response and maintained persistent CCR at follow-up. The 3-year PFS and OS were, respectively, 97% and 98.4% for iPET- and 100% and 100% for iPET+ (p = 0.63). iPET positivity does not seem to be a significant prognostic factor, and change in therapeutic strategy on the basis of iPET does not appear currently advisable outside clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy. andreariccardo.fi lippi@unito.it
authors.forename: Andrea Riccardo
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Filippi
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Botticella
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellò
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Botto
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castiglione
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gavarotti
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gottardi
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parvis
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bisi
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levis
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vitolo
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ricardi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult