title: Relapse of primary central nervous system lymphoma: clinical features, outcome and prognostic factors.
abstract: Data on relapsed primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) are limited. We have evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcome of relapsed PCNSL patients from two German trials. Patients with relapsed disease after primary treatment were studied. Primary therapy consisted of high-dose methotrexate-based chemotherapy in all patients. Treatment for relapse was not predetermined. After a median follow-up of 22.5 months, 52 (36%) patients with relapse were identified among 143 patients with complete remission (CR) after primary treatment. The median disease-free survival was 10.25 (3-47.5) months. The median age at relapse was 59 years. Forty-four of 51 evaluable patients relapsed within the CNS, 6 systemically and one both cerebrally and systemically. The median survival time after first relapse was 4.5 (0.5-40.5) months. Karnofsky performance status (KPS) at relapse (P = 0.004), site of relapse (isolated systemic versus other, P = 0.049) and treatment for relapse (versus no treatment, P = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for survival after relapse in multivariate analysis. Survival of patients with relapsed PCNSL is poor despite high response rates to salvage therapy. Good KPS, isolated systemic relapse and treatment for relapse were significantly associated with longer survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Oncology and Transfusion Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, D-12200, Berlin, Germany. kristoph.jahnke@charite.de
authors.forename: Kristoph
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jahnke
authors.forename: Eckhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martus
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Herrlinger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weller
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korfel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D008727:Methotrexate