Context • In hodgkin’s lymphoma (hL), PEt-Ct scan has established itself as the functional imaging modality of choice when it comes to evaluation and guiding treatment decisions. however, it remains an expensive imaging technique and therefore the number of PEt-Cts is limited for each patient. Recent studies show that Interim PEt-Ct scan is gaining an important role as a predictor of survival and an influencer for treatment modifications. Objective • to identify the patients that are most likely to benefit from interim PEt-Ct scan and to acknowledge the utility of this imaging technique in the daily practice of Lebanese oncologists. Methods • we retrospectively reviewed the charts of 98 patients diagnosed with hL, treated and followed from 2009 to 2016 in our center. Patients were divided into three groups according to the stage of their disease: Group A (limited), Group B (intermediate) and Group C (advanced) according to ESMO guidelines. we studied the characteristics and the progression free survival (PFS) of patients in each group. Results • the progression free survival of the limited, intermediate and advanced stages were 75 months, 84 months and 61.51 months, with a p value of 0.482, 0.343 and 0.025 respectively. Patients who had a positive interim PEt-Ct scan had a PFS of 59.51 months, whereas patients who had a negative interim PEt-Ct scan had a PFS of 80.85 months, with a significant p value (p = 0.033). In the advanced stage, patients with a positive interim PEtCt scan were more likely to relapse with a PFS of 16.6 months vs 71.8 months for patients with negative interim PEt-Ct of the same category (p = 0.025).

Conclusion • In a country with limited resources, where functional imaging techniques remain restricted to a certain number of patients, interim PEt-Ct scan is most valuable in patients with advanced hodgkin’s lymphoma, where a positive Interim PEt-Ct is an indicator of a poor prognosis and therefore should influence an escalation in treatment strategies.

Keywords : Hodgkin’s lymphoma; Interim PET-CT scan; progression free survival