The value of fourth and subsequent post-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT scans in the management of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of fourth and subsequent follow-up PET/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans in patients with non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated all biopsy-proven NHL patients who had more than three follow-up scans after completion of primary treatment from 2000 to 2013 at our academic center. Among 586 patients with NHL who had at least one fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET/CT scan at our institution, a total of 77 patients with 208 fourth and subsequent follow-up F-FDG PET/CT scans, were included in the study. The impact of these follow-up scans on the clinical assessment and the management of the patients was evaluated. RESULTS: Among 208 fourth and subsequent follow-up scans, 33 were performed with a previous clinical suspicion of recurrence and 175 were performed without a previous clinical suspicion of recurrence. Fourth and subsequent follow-up PET/CT results were useful in excluding tumor in 27.3% of scan times when there was a clinical suspicion of recurrence and in identifying recurrence in 5.1% of scan times when there was no previous clinical suspicion of recurrence. Clinicians changed management after 36.4% (12/33) scans that were performed with previous clinical suspicion of recurrence and 9.2% (16/175) scans that were performed without previous clinical suspicion (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Fourth and subsequent follow-up PET/CT scans affect the treatment and management of patients with NHL and add value to clinical assessment and management, especially in patients with a previous clinical suspicion of recurrence.
Duke Scholars
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Related Subject Headings
- Treatment Outcome
- Sensitivity and Specificity
- Retrospective Studies
- Reproducibility of Results
- Radiopharmaceuticals
- Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
- Middle Aged
- Male
- Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Treatment Outcome
- Sensitivity and Specificity
- Retrospective Studies
- Reproducibility of Results
- Radiopharmaceuticals
- Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
- Middle Aged
- Male
- Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin