Using 18F-FDG PET scans to determine future outcomes for patients with mantle cell lymphoma

This study looked at how well ¹⁸F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) scans can determine future patient outcomes for patients with relapsed or difficult to treat mantle cell lymphoma. The study concluded that ¹⁸F-FDG PET scans can determine future patient outcomes, and negative PET scans indicate positive outcomes. 

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is usually aggressive and relapses are common. Patients usually have poor outcomes after they relapse. ¹⁸F-FDG PET scans have been used for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma to determine whether they are likely to respond to treatment.

¹⁸F-FDG PET scans inject a substance that binds to cells that are using a lot of energy (such as cancer cells). A positive ¹⁸F-FDG PET scan means there is still cancer in the body. A negative ¹⁸F-FDG PET scan means there is no detectable cancer. It is unclear if ¹⁸F-FDG PET scans can be as effective for MCL as they are for Hodgkin lymphoma. 

45 patients were enrolled in this study. All patients received bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) treatment for MCL. 32 patients had complete ¹⁸F-FDG PET data available. Patients were scanned both before and after BR treatment.

All patients had a positive scan before treatment. 75% of patients achieved a complete metabolic response (CMR; no detectable cancer on ¹⁸F-FDG PET scan) after treatment.

Patients with a CMR after treatment had a 1-year progression free survival rate (time from treatment to disease progression) of 91.5%. Patients without a CMR after treatment had a 1-year progression free survival rate of 12.5%.

Patients with a CMR after treatment had an average of 20.6 months before any relapse or negative outcome. Patients without a CMR after treatment had an average of 7.8 months before any relapse or negative outcome. 

The authors concluded that ¹⁸F-FDG PET scans are good predictors of future patient outcomes, and patients with negative ¹⁸F-FDG PET scans after treatment have significantly better outcomes than patients with positive ¹⁸F-FDG PET scans after treatment.