Costs and clinical outcomes of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in first remission: role of PET/CT surveillance
- Author:
Koung Jin SUH
1
;
Ki Hwan KIM
;
Ryul KIM
;
Ja Min BYUN
;
Miso KIM
;
Jin Hyun PARK
;
Bhumsuk KEAM
;
Tae Min KIM
;
Jin Soo KIM
;
In Sil CHOI
;
Dae Seog HEO
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine 2019;34(4):894-901
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND/AIMS:The role of [18F]-f luorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in first remission is unclear.
METHODS:Medical costs within the first 3 years of treatment completion and clinical outcomes of 118 patients with DLBCL in first remission with and without surveillance PET/CT (PET/CT [+] group [n = 76] and PET/CT [−] group [n = 42], respectively) were retrospectively analyzed.
RESULTS:In a propensity matched cohort with adjustment for International Prognostic Index risk and relapse, the PET/CT (+) group was shown to have similar medical costs as the PET/CT (−) group. Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were comparable between the two groups (median RFS not reached [NR] for both groups, p = 0.133; median OS NR, p = 0.542). Among 76 patients with surveillance PET/CT, 31 (40.8%) had findings suggestive of recurrence and 16 of these (51.6%) were later confirmed to have recurrent disease. Fifteen patients (48.4%) were confirmed to not have recurrence after follow-up CT or PET/CT evaluation (n = 10) and biopsy (n = 4). None of the patients with negative PET/CT findings had disease recurrence. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of PET/CT for detection of recurrence were 1, 0.75, 0.52, and 1, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS:Surveillance PET/CT resulted in similar clinical outcomes and medical costs compared to no surveillance PET/CT. Approximately half of patients with PET/CT findings of recurrence had no recurrence after follow-up imaging and biopsy, which would not have been carried out if PET/CT had not been performed in the first place.
