title: Primary central nervous system lymphoma in immunocompetent adults: poor results mainly associated with high treatment related toxicities.
abstract: Treatment of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) occurring in immunocompetent patients remains controversial but long-term survival has been reported in patients treated by chemotherapy regimens containing non-lipophilic drugs. We report 34 consecutive PCNSL patients treated at our institution by a chemotherapy regimen that combined drugs crossing and not crossing the blood-brain barrier. Early toxicity was high as 10 of 17 deaths that occurred within the first year of diagnosis were treatment related. Infections and thromboembolism were the main causes of toxicity. We concluded that the use of drugs of uncertain efficacy in these particularly fragile patients is questionable.
authors.affiliation: Service des Maladies du Sang, CHU Lille, 1 Place de Verdun, 59037 Lille, France.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Depil
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Coiteux
authors.forename: Gaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guillerm
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gyan
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bauters
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fenaux
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Quesnel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013923:Thromboembolism; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents