Current imaging follow-up of non-Hodgkin lymphoma exposes patients to significant radiation but does not detect asymptomatic relapses.

The standard approach to the follow-up of lymphoma includes computed tomography (CT) every 6-12 months for the first 2 years and, then, as clinically indicated. Recent evidence suggests that most relapses are detected clinically, outside scheduled CT which, on the other hand, increases risk of second malignancies and cost. In early-stage lymphomas, involved site CT instead of full body CT may be a reasonable alternative to reduce radiation dose. We analyzed whether regular CT surveillance detects asymptomatic relapses in a single-center Uruguayan early stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) population. We evaluated utility of full body CT halfway and at the end-of-treatment evaluation and calculated the radiation exposure. In our study, CT surveillance added nothing to clinical follow-up. Moreover, 44% of our patients received a cumulative effective dose that doubles the risk of malignancies. Involved-site CT scan would be enough to monitor response during treatment in early stage NHL.

Lung cancer and other second neoplasms after treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the risk factors associated with lung cancer (LC) and other second neoplasms (SN) in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 604 patients treated in our institution between 1968 and 2012. RESULTS: 90 out of 604 patients developed SN: 27 LC and 63 other SN. The median time elapsed until LC and other SN was 16.5 and 11.8 years, respectively (p = 0.003). In the LC group, 85.5 % of patients were male and 84.6 % smokers (HR 7, 95 % CI 2.4-20.7, p < 0.001). Radiotherapy (RT) doses applied were higher in the SN group with an increased risk of LC (HR: 4.0 95 % CI 1.1-11.6, p = 0.010) and other SN (HR: 3.3 95 % CI 1.6-6.7 p = 0.001) with doses higher than 42 Gy. No association was found between alkylating agents and development of SN. In LC, the most frequent histology was adenocarcinoma with an elapsed time after HL of 13.2 years in early stages and 21.3 in advanced (p = 0.02). Median OS after a diagnosis of LC was 12.6 months ranging from 5.9 (in cases presenting due to symptoms) to 49.1 (incidentally diagnosed cases) (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: RT treatment, especially with doses higher than 42 Gy, and smoking increase the risk of SN after HL. In this series, LC patients with early stages had a shorter elapsed time from HL diagnosis and longer OS, therefore the role of LC screening in HL survivors should be prospectively evaluated and smoking cessation counseling ought to be a key aspect during follow-up.

Dealing with bone marrow biopsies in the staging of classical Hodgkin lymphoma: an old issue revisited in the (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography era.

Bone marrow biopsy is recommended for staging of classical Hodgkin lymphoma. The aim of this study was to compare bone marrow evaluation by histology with that obtained by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). One hundred and three cases of Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma were reviewed. All patients were submitted to FDG-PET evaluation. Bone marrow biopsy results were compared with clinical data and FDG-PET results. Ninety-one cases had available bone marrow biopsies. Overall, there were 16 positive and one suspect case. In five cases, the FDG-PET scan was positive and biopsy was negative: 1/5 was found to correspond to a bone fracture, 3/5 showed marked reactive bone marrow changes and in 1/5 no explanation for the discrepancy was found. FDG-PET showed high sensitivity, supporting the idea that when it is negative, biopsy could be avoided. Care should be taken in patients with a positive FDG-PET, where confirmation by bone marrow biopsy should be recommended.