Usage of biochemical parameters on assessment of tumor response to systemic chemotherapy in lymphoma

Lymphomas are lymphoid malignancies which comprise both Hodgkin's lymphomas and Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Although, they are compared as distinct group of malignancies over pathological features and the way they treated; their follow-up and treatment response evaluation are similar. Treatment response is evaluated with radiological and nuclear medicine studies in lymphomas, and the adverse effects of radiation burden and study costs are the main concerns of treatment response. Therefore, more cost-effective and less morbidity causing ways of treatment response evaluation seems necessary. In our study, the routine biochemical parameters in follow-up were evaluated for their usability for treatment response evaluation. 108 Patients who were admitted to and treated in Hacettepe University Oncology Hospital Medical Oncology Department between 01.01.2015 and 31.12.2017 were included in our study. The mean age of patients (± SD) was 48.99 (± 17,05), and 52.8% of the cases were male. 25% Of patients had Hodgkin's lymphoma, 65.7% had B-cell lymphomas, 8.3% had T-cell lymphomas, and 1.0% had other non-Hodgkin's lymphoma subtypes. Stage distribution was as follows: 20.4% stage I, 22.2% stage II, 8.3% stage III, and %49.1 stage IV. The changes in levels of sodium, total protein, beta-2 microglobulin, lactate dehydrogenase, hemoglobin and C-reactive protein levels, and neutrophil, lymphocyte and thrombocyte counts, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate before and after treatment were statistically significant (p ≤ 0,050). In analysis of treatment response; total protein, beta-2 microglobulin, lactate dehydrogenase and C-reactive protein levels, along with erythrocyte sedimentation rates were decreased in cases with good treatment response, whereas no change was seen in cases with bad treatment response. After transformation of biochemical parameters, a 4-point scoring system for response evaluation was proposed. In conclusion, it seems reasonable to use the difference of biochemical parameters in treatment response evaluation of lymphomas.