title: Primary central nervous system lymphoma in an Asian population: a 15-year experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to characterize primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) among Asian patients and to determine their outcomes with different therapeutic modalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1990 and 2005, 37 patients with PCNSL were analyzed within 5 different treatment groups: radiotherapy alone (arm A), combined chemoradiation (arm B), chemotherapy alone with methotrexate (MTX) > or = 1 g/m2 (arm C), miscellaneous therapy (arm D), and best supportive care (arm E).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age at presentation was 59 years, and the majority of patients were male (68%). All patients had aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The number of patients in arms A to E were 6, 16, 3, 8 and 4, respectively. The overall median survival was 7.4 months, 54.1 months, not reached, 8.9 months and 0.9 months, respectively. Use of MTX 1-2.5 g/m2 per cycle and an ECOG performance status of 0-2 were each associated with improved survival on univariate analysis (p = 0.022 and p = 0.049, respectively). Compared to radiotherapy alone, use of combined chemo-radiation was associated with a trend towards improved overall median survival (7.4 vs. 54.1 months, p = 0.058).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in our Asian patients were comparable to those reported in Western series. Use of MTX 1-2.5 g/m2 per cycle and an ECOG performance status of 0-2 were associated with improved survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quek
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ty
authors.forename: Soon Thye
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Siew-Ju
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: See
authors.forename: Meng Cheong
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Swee Peng
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.forename: Ivy
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sng
authors.forename: Siew Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hee
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome