Impact of baseline and interim quantitative PET parameters on outcomes of classical Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Currently, analysis of interim PET (iPET) according to the Deauville score (DS) is the most important predictive factor in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL); however, there is room for improvement in its prognostic power. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of quantitative PET analysis (maximum standard uptake value [SUV _max ], total metabolic tumor volume [TMTV] and total lesion glicolysis [TLG]) at baseline (PET0) and iPET in a retrospective cohort of newly diagnosed classical HL. For positive iPET (+ iPET), the reduction of quantitative parameters in relation to PET0 (ΔSUV _max , ΔTMTV and ΔTLG) was calculated. Between 2011 and 2017, 234 patients treated with ABVD were analyzed. Median age was 30 years-old, 59% had advanced stage disease, 57% a bulky mass and 25% a + iPET (DS 4-5). At baseline, high TLG was associated with an increased cumulative incidence of failure (CIF) (p = 0.032) while neither SUV _max , TMTV or TLG were associated with overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS). In multivariate analysis, only iPET was associated with CIF (p < 0.001). Among ΔSUV _max , ΔTMTV and ΔTLG, only a ΔSUV _max  ≥ 68.8 was significant for PFS (HR: 0.31, CI95%: 0.11-0.86, p = 0.024). A subset of patients with improved PFS amongst + iPET was identified by the quantitative (ΔSUV _max  ≥ 68.8%) analysis. In this real-world Brazilian cohort, with prevalent high-risk patients, quantitative analysis of PET0 did not demonstrate to be prognostic, while a dynamic approach incorporating the ΔSUV _max to + iPET succeeded in refining a subset with better prognosis. These findings warrant validation in larger series and indicate that not all patients with + iPET might need treatment intensification.
(© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)