The impact of radiation therapy in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with positive post-chemotherapy FDG-PET or gallium-67 scans.

BACKGROUND: 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography (PET) and gallium-67 citrate (gallium) response after chemotherapy are powerful prognostic factors in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, clinical outcomes when consolidation radiation therapy (RT) is administered are less defined. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed 99 patients diagnosed with DLBCL from 1996 to 2007 at Duke University who had a post-chemotherapy response assessment with either PET or gallium and who subsequently received consolidation RT. Clinical outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 4.4 years. Stage distribution was I-II in 70% and III-IV in 30%. Chemotherapy was R-CHOP or CHOP in 88%. Median RT dose was 30 Gy. Post-chemotherapy PET (n = 79) or gallium (n = 20) was positive in 21 of 99 patients and negative in 78 of 99 patients. Five-year in-field control was 95% with a negative PET/gallium scan versus 71% with a positive scan (P < 0.01). Five-year event-free survival (EFS; 83% versus 65%, P = 0.04) and overall survival (89% versus 73%, P = 0.04) were also significantly better when the post-chemotherapy PET/gallium was negative. CONCLUSIONS: A positive PET/gallium scan after chemotherapy is associated with an increased risk of local failure and death. Consolidation RT, however, still results in long-term EFS in 65% of patients.

Duke Scholars

Author Junzo Paul Chino Radiation Oncology

Author Louis Frederic Diehl Medicine, Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy

Author Christopher Ryan Kelsey Radiation Oncology