title: Role of rituximab in treatment of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma: a retrospective analysis of the Czech lymphoma study group registry.
abstract: We have investigated whether the addition of rituximab to methotrexate, procarbazine, vincristine, radiotherapy and cytarabine was associated with improved outcome of primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL). Of 164 patients, 49 received rituximab. Median age was 63 years, median Karnofsky performance score (KPS) was 60 and median follow-up of living patients was 59.5 months. 1- and 2-year PFS were 49.7 and 37.9%, 1- and 2-year OS were 57.0 and 45.3%. Median progression-free survival (PFS), but not overall survival (OS) was significantly better for patients treated with rituximab (22.9 vs. 10.9 months, p = 0.037). In multivariate analysis, age ≤70 years and KPS ≥90 were predictive for PFS and OS, rituximab was an independent prognostic factor for PFS only. In landmark analyses, rituximab was not found beneficial for long-term survivors and no group particularly benefited from rituximab. In conclusion, addition of rituximab was associated with improved PFS, but not OS in this unselected cohort of PCNSL patients.
authors.affiliation: a Department for Internal Medicine and Haematology, Faculty Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady and Third Faculty of Medicine , Charles University in Prague , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mocikova
authors.affiliation: b First Medical Department - Clinical Department of Haemato-oncology , First Faculty of Medicine and General Teaching Hospital, Charles University in Prague , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pytlik
authors.affiliation: c Fourth Department of Internal Medicine - Hematology , Charles University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine , Hradec Kralove , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sykorova
authors.affiliation: d Department of Internal Medicine and Hemato-oncology , University Hospital , Brno , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Janikova
authors.affiliation: e Department of Hemato-oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry , Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vit
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Prochazka
authors.affiliation: f Department of Hemato-oncology , University Hospital , Pilsen , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vokurka
authors.affiliation: b First Medical Department - Clinical Department of Haemato-oncology , First Faculty of Medicine and General Teaching Hospital, Charles University in Prague , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Adela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berkova
authors.affiliation: c Fourth Department of Internal Medicine - Hematology , Charles University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine , Hradec Kralove , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Belada
authors.affiliation: g Institute of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Second Faculty of Medicine , Charles University in Prague , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vit
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Campr
authors.affiliation: h DSC Services, S.R.O , Tisnov , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buresova
authors.affiliation: b First Medical Department - Clinical Department of Haemato-oncology , First Faculty of Medicine and General Teaching Hospital, Charles University in Prague , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trneny
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000074322:Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers; D001706:Biopsy; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D018153:Czech Republic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000074322:Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological; D015415:Biomarkers; D000069283:Rituximab
keywords: Chemotherapy; primary central nervous system lymphoma; rituximab