Early fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT evaluation predicts DLBCL response to chemotherapy

NEW YORK — A response assessment by fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT after one cycle of chemotherapy predicted mid-interim and end-of-therapy response in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, according to study results presented at Lymphoma & Myeloma 2015.

Sonya Youngju Park, MD, of Catholic University of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, evaluated data from 31 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who received R-CHOP chemotherapy to evaluate whether early response assessment by fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT predicted patients’ interim and final response to chemotherapy.

Researchers performed F-18 FDG PET/CT in patients — using the same imaging system and protocol — at baseline, after one cycle, after three cycles and after completion of six cycles of chemotherapy. Measurement of the hottest tumor SULpeak served the basis for assessing response.

The final analysis included data from 29 patients. For 28 of these patients, early response assessment using FDG PET/CT after one cycle of chemotherapy predicted response after three and six cycles.

Only one patient who had a favorable response after the first cycle later progressed. This patient had a complete response during assessment after the first cycle, but had disease progression after cycles 3 and 6.

Researchers noted the SULpeak percentage change and SULpeak absolute change among responses at the three time points appeared strongly correlated. However, the SULpeak percentage changes between cycles one and three significantly differed (P = .011). – by Alexandra Todak

For more information:

Park SY, et al. Abstract P14. Presented at: Lymphoma & Myeloma 2015: An International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies; Oct. 22-24, 2015; New York, New York.

Disclosure: HemOnc Today was unable to confirm the researchers’ relevant financial disclosures at the time of reporting.