Positron emission tomography changes management, improves prognostic stratification and is superior to gallium scintigraphy in patients with low-grade lymphoma: results of a multicentre prospective study.

Scott, Andrew M; Gunawardana, Dishan H; Wong, Joseph; Kirkwood, Ian; Hicks, Rodney J; Ho Shon, Ivan; Ramshaw, Jayne E; Robins, Peter · Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging · 2009

prospective_cohort · Level II

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Abstract

Positron emission tomography (PET) was evaluated in low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) to determine its impact on staging and management and to compare PET and gallium scans. PET resulted in management plan changes in 74 patients with untreated low-grade NHL stages I to III. Patient outcomes to 12 months were documented. PET identified additional lesions in 50% of patients, led to a change in stage in 32%, and had a significant impact on management in 34%. Inferior progression-free survival was noted in patients with additional lesions detected by PET (p=0.001) and in the 28% of patients upstaged by PET to stage III or IV (p=0.024). In a subset of 16 patients undergoing both PET and gallium scans, PET was found to be superior. PET has a major role in the management of low-grade NHL in addition to its proven role in aggressive lymphoma.

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