title: Combined Modality Treatment Including Methotrexate-Based Chemotherapy For Primary CENTRAL Nervous System Lymphoma: A Single Institution Experience.
abstract: Chemotherapy including high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX), with or without radiotherapy, is standard treatment for primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). It remains controversial whether addition of other drugs will add to therapeutic efficacy. We report here on 41 patients with PCNSL treated using a combined treatment modality, including HD-MTX (3.5 g/m(2) for 2 cycles) prior to whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). In 22 patients, the chemotherapy was intensified by adding high-dose cytosine arabinoside (HD-AraC) (2g/m(2) for 4 doses for 2 cycles). Complete remission at the end of the combined treatment was obtained in 23 of 34 assessable patients (67%), and the predicted 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 24% and 46%, respectively, without differences between treatment groups. The addition of HD-AraC was complicated by severe infections in 17/22 (77%) patients, resulting in 3 toxic deaths. Our study indicates that addition of HD-AraC may not improve clinical outcome in PCNSL, while it increases toxicity. More targeted and less toxic therapies are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ematologia, di Radioterapia.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hohaus
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teofili
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balducci
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manfrida
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pompucci
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Alo'
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Massini
authors.forename: Luigi Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Larocca
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marra
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Storti