Response-adapted therapy based on interim PET imaging after 2 cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) led to favorable 2-year progression free survival for PET2-positive Hodgkin Lymphoma patients, according to a study involving 331 individuals.

Participants ranged between 18 and 60 years of age. Investigators performed a PET scan after 2 initial cycles of ABVD, which was labeled PET2. PET2-negative patients received an additional 4 cycles of ABVD, whereas PET2-positive patients were switched to escalated bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (eBEACOPP) for 6 cycles. Among the results:

• 271 patients were PET2-negative; 60 were PET2-positive.

• 49 of the PET2-positive patients switched to eBEACOPP; 2-year overall survival was 98%; progression-free survival was 79%.

• Progression free survival in the subset who were PET2-positive after 2 ABVD cycles of was 64%.

Citation: Press O, Li H, Schöder H, et al. US intergroup trial of response-adapted therapy for stage III to IV Hodgkin lymphoma using early interim fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography imaging: Southwest Oncology Group S0816. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34(17):2020-2027. doi:10.1200/JCO.2015.63.1119.