title: Central nervous system involvement in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: Fifty-eight Hong Kong Chinese patients with CNS lymphoma were reviewed (primary seven, secondary 51). The incidence of secondary CNS lymphoma in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was estimated to be 9.4%. The Working Formulation separated subtypes which had a special propensity to involve the CNS. Significant proportions of our patients with secondary CNS lymphoma had other features which were known to be associated with a high risk of CNS disease including stage IV (48/51, 91.4%), bone marrow (26/51, 50.9%), peripheral blood (7.51, 13.7%), nasal (7/51, 13.7%), orbital (3/51, 5.9%), testicular (2/51, 3.9%) and bulky retroperitoneal (6/51, 11.8%) disease. 82% of patients with secondary CNS lymphoma had concurrent systemic disease and a further 12% had systemic relapse shortly afterward. CNS lymphoma is associated with poor prognosis and only 29% and 14% of the patients with primary and secondary CNS lymphoma respectively survived beyond 1 year. Patients responding to therapy had significantly better survival. 69.9% of the deaths were related to progressive systemic disease.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tso
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy