Dose-Response Relationships Between Radiation Exposure, Bone Marrow Function as Measured by F-Fluorothymidine Positron Emission Tomography, and Lymphocyte Counts During Chemoradiation for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: F-fluorothymidine (FLT) positron emission tomography (PET) enables sensitive imaging of bone marrow (BM) proliferation. Sequential FLT-PET/computed tomography scans before and during chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for non-small cell lung cancer were repurposed to investigate the dose-response effects of radiation on BM proliferation.

Methods And Materials: Twenty-six non-small cell lung cancer patients underwent platinum-based CRT to 60 Gy in 30 fractions with FLT-PET/computed tomography scans at baseline, week 2 (20 Gy), and week 4 (40 Gy). FLT uptake in BM was isolated using Medical Image Merge software. Weeks 2 and 4 FLT-PET BM scans were fused with contemporaneous radiation isodose distributions. Relationships between radiation dose and FLT BM uptake (highest standardized uptake values within the volume and visual parameters) were analyzed using generalized linear and restricted cubic spline models. Percentage volumes of total BM without appreciable FLT uptake ("ablated") on weeks 2 and 4 FLT-PET scans were calculated by comparisons with baseline scans.

Results: Thoracic FLT uptake was ablated in BM regions exposed to cumulative radiation doses ≥3 Gy by week 2. In all cases, BM FLT's highest standardized uptake values within the volume declined rapidly as the radiation dose increased. BM proliferation significantly decreased by >95% after ≥3 to 4 Gy at 2 weeks and ≥4 to 5 Gy at 4 weeks. The ablated BM volume increased from week 2 to week 4 as BM in the penumbra accumulated radiation dose. The median percentage of total BM ablated was 13.1% (range, 5.6%-20.3%) at 2 weeks and 15.7% (range, 9.2%-24.1%) at 4 weeks. Mean lymphocyte counts fell from a baseline of 2.01 × 10/L to 0.77 at week 2 and 0.60 at week 4. Lymphocyte decline strongly correlated with the percentage of total BM ablated by week 4 (y = -46 to 1.64x; R = 0.34; P = .001).

Conclusions: BM ablation associated with low-dose radiation exposure during CRT correlated significantly with lower week 4 lymphocyte counts. BM is a potential organ at risk, and reducing the BM volume exposed to ≥3 Gy may help preserve lymphocytes, which is essential for effective adjuvant immunotherapy.