Staging Bone Marrow Biopsy Does Not Alter Management in Patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma and May Not be Necessary:a 10yr Single Institutional Retrospective Review of Patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma with Bone Marrow Involvement 2004-2013

Introduction: The incidence of bone marrow involvement (BMI) in patients diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) is relatively low varying from 4-14% in different series occurring mainly in patients with advanced disease (stage III-IV). Ann Arbor staging system with Cotswolds modification in 1989 recommend staging bone marrow in patients with clinical stage III-IV and stage II patients with adverse risk features. It’s utility is now questionable and no longer recommended by many authors as it does not alter the way patients are managed. The advent of ¹⁸F-fluoro-2 –deoxy-D-glucose positive emission tomography (FDG-PET) scan use in the staging of patients has improved the prediction of possible bone marrow involvement obviating further the need for bone marrow biopsy. While BMI is said to be an independent prognostic factor in the survival of patient with HL, more studies have shown that BMI alone in patients with Stage IV disease does not influence survival or freedom from disease progression. Because staging bone marrow biopsy (BMB) use in HL varies from one institution to another, we performed a retrospective review in our institution in order to determine its incidence, risk factors and effect in the management of patients.

Methods: We performed a retrospective search in John H Stroger, Jr. Hospital database of patients with HL seen from 2004 to 2013. 237 adult (18yr and above) patients were screened. 185 patients had BMB done as part of work up.

Results: BMI was detected in 21%(38 of 185) of patients who had BMB as part of work up. M:F ratio was 2.5:1. Mean age was 39.8 +/- 11.5yrs. 51%(95 of 185) of patients who had BMB had advanced disease. 94%(33 out of 35) of patients with BMI had advanced disease prior to BMB. 3 patients with BMI were incompletely staged. Advanced disease was significantly more likely to be associated with BMI than early stage disease (OR 20.2 95% CI 4.6-87.6 p=0.0001). Less than 1%(2 out of 78) of patients with early stage disease were upstaged .The 2 patients that were upstaged had Stage IIB disease prior to BMB.38%(14 of 37) of patients with BMI were HIV positive which was higher compared to 12%(16 of 129) of patients without BMI that were HIV positive (OR 5.8 95% CI 2.4-14.0 p=0.0001). 5 of 38 patients with BMI had staging FDG-PET and all showed positivity in the skeletal system. Patients with BMI in our review were managed with 6-8cycles of chemotherapy (CT)-Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine and Dacarbazine regimen (ABVD). 5 cases were relapsed disease. 4 of these patients with relapsed disease received Platinum/Gemcitabine regimen and one patient received Mechlorethamine, Vincristine, Procarbazine and Prednisone regimen (MOPP). Radiation Therapy (RT) was part of the management in 4 patients done for cord compression (2), bulky mediastinal disease (1) and for residual disease after chemotherapy (1).

Conclusions: The incidence of BMI was high in our retrospective review compared to other series, however majority of involvement were in patients with advanced disease as in most series. Patients were rarely upstaged from early stage to advanced stage with bone marrow biopsy. This occurred in less than 1% in our retrospective review. Staging FDG-PET although done in few of our patients with BMI was predictive. Management of these patients was not significantly altered based on BMI. They were managed mainly with CT. RT needed in some of these patients was justified (cord compression, and bulky mediastinal disease). RT for residual disease is not a standard of care. Risks factors identified for BMI includes advanced disease and associated HIV infection. BMB does not alter patient management and its sole prognostic significance in patients with stage IV disease is controversial. It is therefore not necessary in the staging of newly diagnosed patients with HL.