Fludeoxyglucose F 18-PET/CT Imaging in Assessing Response to Chemotherapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Hodgkin Lymphoma

Overview

RATIONALE: Imaging procedures, such as fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG)-PET/CT scan, done before, during, and after chemotherapy may help doctors assess a patient's response to treatment and help plan the best treatment. It is not yet known whether FDG-PET/CT imaging is effective in assessing response to chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying FDG-PET/CT imaging to see how well it works in assessing response to chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed stage II, stage III, or stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma.

OBJECTIVES: * To determine if fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG)-PET/CT imaging can be reproducibly and effectively applied in the early assessment of response to chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed stage II-IV Hodgkin lymphoma. * To determine if a negative FDG-PET/CT scan after 2 courses of ABVD chemotherapy comprising doxorubicin hydrochloride, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine can be used to predict a group of patients for whom it is safe to reduce therapy by the subsequent omission of bleomycin, without detriment to progression-free survival. * To determine if treatment intensification in response to positive FDG-PET/CT imaging after 2 courses of ABVD chemotherapy can improve the outcome by comparison with previous series. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients undergo fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG)-PET/CT imaging at baseline. Patients then receive ABVD chemotherapy comprising doxorubicin hydrochloride IV, bleomycin IV, vinblastine IV, and dacarbazine IV on days 1 and 15. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 2 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Between days 22 and 25 of course 2, patients undergo a second FDG-PET/CT scan to assess response. Subsequent therapy is based on FDG-PET/CT scan results. * Negative FDG-PET/CT scan: Patients with a negative FDG-PET/CT scan are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I (ABVD chemotherapy): Patients receive ABVD chemotherapy comprising doxorubicin hydrochloride IV, bleomycin IV, vinblastine IV, and dacarbazine IV on days 1 and 15. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. * Arm II (AVD chemotherapy): Patients receive AVD chemotherapy comprising doxorubicin hydrochloride IV, vinblastine IV, and dacarbazine IV on days 1 and 15. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. * Positive FDG-PET/CT scan: Patients with a positive FDG-PET/CT scan are assigned to 1 of 2 chemotherapy regimens, as determined by the participating center. * BEACOPP-14 chemotherapy: Patients receive doxorubicin hydrochloride IV and cyclophosphamide IV on day 1; etoposide IV on days 1-3; oral procarbazine hydrochloride and oral prednisolone on days 1-7; and bleomycin IV and vincristine IV on day 8. Patients also receive filgrastim (G-CSF) subcutaneously (SC) on days 8-13 OR pegfilgrastim SC once on day 8. Treatment repeats every 14 days for up to 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. * BEACOPP-escalated chemotherapy: Patients receive doxorubicin hydrochloride IV and cyclophosphamide IV on day 1; etoposide IV on days 1-3; oral procarbazine hydrochloride on days 1-7; oral prednisolone on days 1-14; and bleomycin IV and vincristine IV on day 8. Patients also receive G-CSF SC beginning on day 8 and continuing until blood counts recover OR pegfilgrastim SC once on day 8. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of BEACOPP chemotherapy, patients undergo a third FDG-PET/CT scan to assess response. Patients with a negative FDG-PET/CT scan receive 2 more courses of BEACOPP-14 or 1 more course of BEACOPP-escalated chemotherapy. Patients with a persistently positive FDG-PET/CT scan may receive radiotherapy to sites of FDG uptake or salvage chemotherapy, at the investigator's discretion. After completion of study therapy, patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year, every 4 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter. Peer Reviewed and Funded or Endorsed by Cancer Research UK.