In a nutshell
This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning and bone marrow biopsy (BMB) to assess bone marrow involvement (BMI) in children with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma. The main finding was that PET/CT was effective in determining BMI and biopsy should only be used for patients whose PET/CT results are uncertain.
Some background
Bone marrow involvement is the presence of cancer cells in the bone marrow. Therefore it is necessary to evaluate BMI as it may change the treatment plan for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Bone marrow biopsy involves using a needle to take a sample of tissue from inside the bone, however this can be unpleasant and painful for young children. PET/CT is a test which combines radiation and X-ray to produce images of inside the body. It is necessary to assess the effectiveness and accuracy of different methods to identify BMI in children with HL.
Methods & findings
Two hundred and twenty-four patients with HL aged 4-18 were studied. At the time when disease stage was being determined, the patients underwent PET/CT. If the PET/CT results were uncertain, patients then underwent BMB.
BMI was negative for 193 (86%) patients imaged with PET/CT. The results for 16 of these patients were uncertain. Bone marrow biopsy identified involvement in 6.25% (1 of the 16 patients). 15 of the 16 patients with uncertain results who underwent PET/CT scanning did not have bone marrow involvement after biopsy.
The bottom line
This study suggested that PET/CT was accurate in determining BMI in patients with recently diagnosed PHL. Researchers also suggested that patients should only undergo a bone marrow biopsy if their PET/CT results are uncertain.
What’s next?
If you have questions about investigating Hodgkin's lymphoma, please consult a doctor.
Published By :
Clinical lymphoma, myeloma & leukemia
Date :
Apr 14, 2018
