Role of Interim PET Scan after 2 Cycles of ABVD in Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma: Retrospective Multicenter Study from South India

Introduction Most Indian centers use Adriamycin/Bleomycin/Vinblastine/Dacarba-zine (ABVD) chemotherapy for pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (pHL). To reduce the late toxicity, robust predictive markers are needed to risk stratify pHL patients, thereby limiting the number of chemotherapy cycles and omitting radiation for low-risk and intensifying treatment for high-risk children. Objective This study was conducted to analyze the outcome of pHL patients treated with ABVD and various factors predicting the outcome. Materials and Methods This retrospective study analyzed the outcome of 113 consecutive pHL children treated with ABVD chemotherapy from 11 tertiary care centers in South India from 2009 to 2019. Results The median duration of follow-up was 2.73 years. The median age was 13 years. B symptoms are seen in 50.5% patients, bulky disease in 23%, and stage IV in 28.3%. Of 113 pHL, 69% had a positron emission tomography (PET) and 31% had computed tomography (CT)-based staging. Stage IV (37.1%) and extranodal involvement (31.2%) were seen more often with PET than with CT staging (8.5 and 2.8%, respectively). Among 64 patients with interim PET scan after two cycles (iPET2), 20.3% did not achieve complete remission (CR) and no factors were significantly associated. The 4-year event-free survival (EFS) rate of the entire cohort was 86%. The 4-year EFS rate was 93% for patients with CR in iPET2 and 52% for patients not achieving CR. The only independent predictor of low EFS was iPET2 response (p < 0.05). Conclusion Our study confirms the prognostic role of PET scan staging and response assessment. Not achieving CR on the iPET2 scan indicates poor prognosis and warrants clinical trial enrollment for a better outcome.

Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Chemotherapy Response of Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Study in Tertiary Teaching Hospital

Background and Objective: Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) is known as a malignancy of the lymphatic system and 90% of the HL is Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma (CHL). Prognostic factors that identify the patient's response to therapy are useful for optimizing the therapy. This study aims to assess the clinicopathological characteristics and chemotherapy response associated with CHL patients. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study of 40 patients diagnosed as CHL and treated with ABVD chemotherapy at Hasan Sadikin General Hospital/Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia during the period of January 2014 to December 2019. The clinicopathological characteristics data consisting of age, sex, histopathology subtype, tumor location and clinical stage were assessed. Their responses to chemotherapy were also analyzed. Result and Discussion: A total of 40 patient data were included in this study, 21 CHL patients responded to ABVD chemotherapy (52.5%) while 19 patients not responded (47.5%). There were no significant association between age, sex, histopathological subtype, tumour location and clinical stage with chemotherapy response. Conclusion: In this study, 47.5% of CHL patients did not respond to ABVD chemotherapy. The response of ABVD chemotherapy was not associated with age, sex, histopathological subtype, tumor location or clinical stage. Keywords: Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma, chemotherapy response, clinicopathological characteristics.

Disseminated form of the Kaposi sarcoma in HIV-negative patient associated with Hodgkin’s lymphoma

ABSTRACT We report a case of a 35-year-old, non-HIV-infected male diagnosed simultaneously with a disseminated form of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS; skin, stomach and colon are involved) and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. There is no sign of changes in the immune status, but three herpes viruses were detected in the patient’s blood (EBV, HHV6 and HHV8). He received ABVD chemotherapy and achieved complete metabolic remission for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Moreover, the signs of the disseminated KS were resolved. Our observations indicate that a combination of distinct types of viruses may play an important role in triggering the development of angio- and lymphoproliferative disorders in the same person. In addition, treatment with chemotherapy cycles, which included doxorubicin and vinblastine, led to the stable remission of both diseases.

Bleomycin-induced Flagellate Dermatitis: a Case Report

Flagellate dermatitis represents a unique cutaneous eruption associated with several causes, including treatment with certain chemotherapeutic agents, ingestion of toxins and rheumatologic conditions like adult-onset Still’s disease and dermatomyositis. We present the case of a 35-year-old woman with stage IIA Hodgkin lymphoma who was treated with the ABVD chemotherapy regimen (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine). During the third cycle of chemotherapy, she developed multiple linear erythematous macules and hyperpigmentation in a striking flagellate-like pattern localized on the upper chest, submammary folds, neck and upper part of the back. The lesions resolved completely within three months after the withdrawal of bleomycin. Clinicians should be aware of this distinctive cutaneous toxicity in patients receiving bleomycin combination chemotherapy.

Evaluation of neutropenia-related outcomes in Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with moderate or severe neutropenia who received ABVD chemotherapy without using granulocyte-colony stimulating factor

Objective To evaluate the possible neutropenia-related effects of administering adriamycin [doxorubicin], bleomycin, vinblastin, dacarbazine (ABVD) chemotherapy in Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients with moderate or severe neutropenia without granulocyte-colony stimulating factor supplementation. Methods This study evaluated neutropenia-related outcomes and the need for granulocyte-colony stimulating factor use during the periods between chemotherapy rounds. Forty-three rounds of ABVD chemotherapy were evaluated in the study. The outcomes that could be related to neutropenia were analyzed. In addition, rounds of ABVD chemotherapy given in the presence of severe neutropenia were compared with ABVD chemotherapy rounds given in the presence of moderate neutropenia in terms of neutropenia-related outcomes and the need for granulocyte-colony stimulating factor use. The study only included patients with classical Hodgkin's disease (lymphoma). Patients with a final neutrophil count of <1 × 103 cells/µL (<1000 cells/µL) prior to chemotherapy round and those receiving ABVD chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma were included in the study. Results We observed that none of the patients with moderate neutropenia before the start of chemotherapy round needed granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and four patients with severe neutropenia prior to the start of chemotherapy round required granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. However, there was no statistically significant relationship between the severity of neutropenia (in terms of moderate and severe) before chemotherapy and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor requirement after chemotherapy (p> 0.05). Furthermore, none of the patients included in the study had bleomycin-related lung toxicity during the treatment periods included in the study. Conclusion Administering ABVD chemotherapy to patients with moderate neutropenia seems to be safe.