Spleen Volume Reduction Is a Reliable and Independent Biomarker for Long-Term Risk of Leukopenia Development in Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy.

177Lu-DOTATATE therapy is an effective treatment for advanced neuroendocrine tumors, despite its dose-limiting hematotoxicity. Herein, the significance of off-target splenic irradiation is unknown. Our study aims to identify predictive markers of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy-induced leukopenia.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed blood counts and imaging data of 88 patients with histologically confirmed, unresectable metastatic neuroendocrine tumors who received 177Lu-DOTATATE treatment at our institution from February 2009 to July 2021. Inclusion criterium was a tumor uptake equivalent to or greater than that in the liver on baseline receptor imaging. We excluded patients with less than 24 mo of follow-up and those patients who received fewer than 4 treatment cycles, additional therapies, or blood transfusions during follow-up.

Results

Our study revealed absolute and relative white blood cell counts and relative spleen volume reduction as independent predictors of radiation-induced leukopenia at 24 mo. However, a 30% decline in spleen volume 12 mo after treatment most accurately predicted patients proceeding to leukopenia at 24 mo (receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.91, sensitivity of 0.93, and specificity of 0.90), outperforming all other parameters by far.

Conclusion

Automated splenic volume assessments demonstrated superior predictive capabilities for the development of leukopenia in patients undergoing 177Lu-DOTATATE treatment compared with conventional laboratory parameters. The reduction in spleen size proves to be a valuable, routinely available, and quantitative imaging-based biomarker for predicting radiation-induced leukopenia. This suggests potential clinical applications for risk assessment and management.