Mediastinal goiter diagnosed by functional imaging

A 63-year-old asymptomatic woman with cured Hodgkin diseases presented for restaging. The chest computed tomography showed a mass at the right side of the upper mediastinum. The benignity and the origin of the tissue were unknown. First, we performed a bronchoscopy-guided biopsy but without success. In the next step, we initiated radionuclide imaging with technetium-99m pertechnetate (Tc-99m) and radioiodine (I-123). Low uptake of Tc-99m and intense accumulation of I-123 after 2 and 24 h to the mediastinal mass suggested that the mass was a mediastinal goiter. Based on iodine uptake and the fact that our patient had no symptoms of tracheal compression, we decide to go for a radioiodine therapy

Follow-up of the GHSG HD16 trial of PET-guided treatment in early-stage favorable Hodgkin lymphoma.

The primary analysis of the GHSG HD16 trial indicated a significant loss of tumor control with PET-guided omission of radiotherapy (RT) in patients with early-stage favorable Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). This analysis reports long-term outcomes. Overall, 1150 patients aged 18-75 years with newly diagnosed early-stage favorable HL were randomized between standard combined-modality treatment (CMT) (2x ABVD followed by PET/CT [PET-2] and 20 Gy involved-field RT) and PET-2-guided treatment omitting RT in case of PET-2 negativity (Deauville score [DS] < 3). The study aimed at excluding inferiority of PET-2-guided treatment and assessing the prognostic impact of PET-2 in patients receiving CMT. At a median follow-up of 64 months, PET-2-negative patients had a 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) of 94.2% after CMT (n = 328) and 86.7% after ABVD alone (n = 300; HR = 2.05 [1.20-3.51]; p = 0.0072). 5-year OS was 98.3% and 98.8%, respectively (p = 0.14); 4/12 documented deaths were caused by second primary malignancies and only one by HL. Among patients assigned to CMT, 5-year PFS was better in PET-2-negative (n = 353; 94.0%) than in PET-2-positive patients (n = 340; 90.3%; p = 0.012). The difference was more pronounced when using DS4 as cut-off (DS 1-3: n = 571; 94.0% vs. DS ≥ 4: n = 122; 83.6%; p < 0.0001). Taken together, CMT should be considered standard treatment for early-stage favorable HL irrespective of the PET-2-result

PET/CT for Lymphoma Post-therapy Response Assessment in Hodgkin Lymphoma and Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

Over the course of many decades, combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy adapted to the stage of disease have become the optimal and standard treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Besides achieving optimized cure rates of the underlying disease, reduction of toxicity has become a major goal. Since the introduction of FDG-PET for the staging and restaging of patients with lymphoma, a high predictive value of F-18-FDG-PET in response assessment has been observed. Several PET-response-guided therapy regimens have already been established, and even more PET-adapted study designs are being tested in large study groups. PET has a very high negative predictive value following chemotherapy, and radiotherapy can be safely omitted in PET-negative patients with HL after effective chemotherapy with regimens such as bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone in advanced stages. As state-of-the-art PET-guided therapy is based on the results of large clinical trials, the reliability of end-of-treatment PET as a basis for abandoning radiotherapy in early and intermediate HL stages remains to be shown. As in HL, the predictive value of FDG-PET after induction therapy of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is higher than that of CT alone so that we obtain relevant prognostic information unavailable through anatomical imaging. Recent results from trials in aggressive non-HL with a de-escalating strategy suggest that radiotherapy may be safely omitted if FDG-PET is negative after standard chemoimmunotherapy. Since 2007, FDG-PET at end of treatment is integrated into the International Working Group criteria and became the imaging tool of choice for response assessment in aggressive lymphoma. Robust and reproducible interpretation criteria are being used both in the ongoing clinical trials and in daily routine. The recommended five-point scale has become the standard in PET response assessment, with the caveat that the consequence of a PET scan may be influenced by foregoing and following treatments. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved