Radiology 1999 Feb;210(2):487-91
Hodgkin disease: prediction of outcome with 67Ga scintigraphy after one
cycle of chemotherapy.
Front D, Bar-Shalom R, Mor M, Haim N, Epelbaum R, Frenkel A, Gaitini D, Kolodny GM, Israel
O.
PURPOSE: To investigate gallium 67 scintigraphy performed early during treatment as a
means to predict outcome and thus to optimize treatment of Hodgkin disease (HD) in the
future. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-eight patients with HD were examined. Thirty-one
patients underwent 67Ga scintigraphy after one chemotherapy cycle and 83 patients after a
mean 3.5 cycles (range, 2-5 cycles). Sixteen patients underwent 67Ga scintigraphy both
after one cycle and at midtreatment. Patients underwent whole-body scintigraphy and single
photon emission computed tomography of the torso. Torso computed tomography (CT) was
performed after a mean 3.5 cycles (range, 2-6 cycles). Failure-free survival was compared
between patients with positive and patients with negative test findings (Kaplan-Meier
method), and the significance of the difference was calculated. The association of
failure-free survival with various prognostic clinical factors before treatment was
compared (log-rank test univariate analysis). RESULTS: Failure-free survival differed
significantly (P < .002) between patients with positive and patients with negative 67Ga
scintigrams after one chemotherapy cycle but not at midtreatment. Failure-free survival
was not significantly different between patients with positive and patients with negative
CT scans at midtreatment. Twenty-two (92%) of 24 patients with negative 67Ga scintigrams
after one cycle and 64 (82%) of 78 patients with negative scintigrams at midtreatment
remained in complete response. In four (57%) of seven patients with positive 67Ga
scintigrams after one cycle, treatment failed. CONCLUSION: 67Ga scintigraphy after one
cycle of chemotherapy is a good early predictor of outcome of HD.
PMID: 10207434
