Prognostic value of baseline 18F- fluroodexoygloucose PET/computed tomography–derived maximum standardized uptake value and tumor bulk in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma: a retrospective analysis
Nadia Nazir, Zeeshan Sikandar, Faiza Afzal, Aruba Nawaz Khattak, Anis Ur Rehman, Khalid Javed, Irfana Ishaq SindhuObjective
This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of baseline 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography–derived metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) for treatment outcome in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed 48 patients aged less than or equal to 18 years with newly diagnosed intermediate-risk Hodgkin lymphoma who underwent baseline 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography between January 2020 and December 2025 at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan. Baseline MTV and SUV max were quantified and assessed for association with treatment outcomes. The primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS).
Results
Median baseline MTV was 263.5 ml (range: 22–781) and median SUV
max
was 9.2 (range: 3.2–31.8). After a median follow-up of 48.8 months, 14 (29.2%) patients experienced an EFS event. MTV was higher in patients with events than in those without (303.0 vs. 254.5 ml), but the difference was not significant (
Conclusion
In this single-center cohort, baseline MTV and SUV max were not significantly predictive of EFS, with disease stage remained the only significant prognostic determinant. However, given the limited statistical power inherent to this sample size, a clinically meaningful association cannot be excluded and warrants evaluation in larger prospective studies.