Early relapses in primary CNS lymphoma after response to polychemotherapy without intraventricular treatment: results of a phase II study

2008 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik Pels ◽  
Annika Juergens ◽  
Axel Glasmacher ◽  
Holger Schulz ◽  
Andreas Engert ◽  
...  
2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (24) ◽  
pp. 4489-4495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik Pels ◽  
Ingo G.H. Schmidt-Wolf ◽  
Axel Glasmacher ◽  
Holger Schulz ◽  
Andreas Engert ◽  
...  

Purpose: To evaluate response rate, response duration, overall survival (OS), and toxicity in primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) after systemic and intraventricular chemotherapy with deferred radiotherapy. Patients and Methods: From September 1995 to July 2001, 65 consecutive patients with PCNSL (median age, 62 years) were enrolled onto a pilot and phase II study evaluating chemotherapy without radiotherapy. A high-dose methotrexate (MTX; cycles 1, 2, 4, and 5) and cytarabine (ARA-C; cycles 3 and 6)–based systemic therapy (including dexamethasone, vinca-alkaloids, ifosfamide, and cyclophosphamide) was combined with intraventricular MTX, prednisolone, and ARA-C. Results: Sixty-one of 65 patients were assessable for response. Of these, 37 patients (61%) achieved complete response, six (10%) achieved partial response, and 12 (19%) progressed under therapy. Six (9%) of 65 patients died because of treatment-related complications. Follow-up is 0 to 87 months (median, 26 months). The Kaplan-Meier estimates for median time to treatment failure (TTF) and median OS were 21 months and 50 months, respectively. For patients older than 60 years, median survival was 34 months, and the median TTF was 15 months. In patients younger than 61 years, median survival and median TTF have not been reached yet; the 5-year survival fraction is 75%. Systemic toxicity was mainly hematologic. Ommaya reservoir infection occurred in 12 patients (19%), and permanent cognitive dysfunction possibly as a result of treatment occurred in only two patients (3%). Conclusion: Primary chemotherapy based on high-dose MTX and ARA-C is highly efficient in PCNSL. Response rate and response duration in this series are comparable to the response rates and durations reported after combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Neurotoxicity was infrequent.


2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 2726-2731 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Hoang-Xuan ◽  
L. Taillandier ◽  
O. Chinot ◽  
P. Soubeyran ◽  
U. Bogdhan ◽  
...  

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy alone in patients older than 60 years with primary CNS lymphoma. Patients and Methods: Fifty patients with a median age of 72 years and a median Karnofsky performance score (KPS) of 50 were eligible for this multicenter phase II study. The protocol consisted of high-dose methotrexate (MTX), lomustine, procarbazine, methylprednisolone, and intrathecal chemotherapy with MTX and cytarabine. The patients received one induction cycle; if objective response was achieved, five additional maintenance cycles were administered every 6 weeks. The median follow-up of patients was 3 years. Results: Twenty four patients (48%) achieved an objective response (compete response [CR], 42%; partial response, 6%), with a median duration of CR of 27 months (range, 3 to 47+ months). Overall median survival time was 14.3 months, and 1-year progression-free survival was 40% (95% confidence interval [CI], 26% to 53%). Myelosuppression was the most frequent side effect, with grade 3 to 4 neutropenia in 19% of patients. One patient died during chemotherapy, as a result of pulmonary embolism. Most patients improved or preserved their cognitive functions (47% and 45% of the patients, respectively) and KPS (36% and 52% of the patients, respectively) until relapse, whereas cognitive and KPS decline attributed to delayed treatment neurotoxicity occurred in 8% and 12% patients, respectively. Conclusion: In the elderly, this chemotherapy regimen compares favorably with radiotherapy (RT) alone and reduces considerably the risk of delayed neurotoxicity associated with combined chemoradiotherapy. Chemotherapy alone is an appropriate strategy in older patients to delay or avoid RT.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 2452-2452
Author(s):  
Ingo G.H. Schmidt-Wolf ◽  
Hendrik Pels ◽  
Annika Juergens ◽  
Axel Glasmacher ◽  
Holger Schulz ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Treatment of primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) with a combined systemic and intraventricular chemotherapy (Bonn protocol) has achieved an overall response rate (ORR) of 84% and long term complete remissions in a substantial fraction of patients younger than 60 years. Purpose: Due to a high infection rate of the Ommaya reservoir the question was addressed if intraventricular treatment is dispensable in this polychemotherapy protocol. Patients and Methods: Fifty patients with histologically confirmed PCNSL were enrolled onto a phase II-study evaluating chemotherapy without radiotherapy and without intraventricular treatment. A high-dose methotrexate (MTX) (cycles 1,2,4,5) and cytarabine (ara-C) (cycles 3,6) based systemic therapy (including dexamethasone, vinca-alkaloids, ifosfamide and cyclophosphamide) was administered. Results: In an ongoing trial thirty-five of 50 patients (18 pat. < 60 years, 17 pat. over 60 years) are yet assessable for response after a median follow up of nine months (range: 1 to 26 months). In 18 patients < 60 years, the ORR was 78%. However, median time to treatment failure (TTF) was eight months, and median progression free survival (PFS) only 7 months according to frequent early relapses. Conclusions: Early relapses are frequent in younger patients treated with the modified Bonn protocol without intraventricular treatment despite a high ORR. These preliminary results support the assumption that intraventricular treatment is essential to achieve sustained remissions after successful treatment of PCNSL.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 3594-3594
Author(s):  
Gerald Illerhaus ◽  
Fabian Müller ◽  
Friedrich Feuerhake ◽  
J.ürgen Finke

Abstract Introduction: High-dose chemotherapy (HDT) and autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) demonstrated high efficacy in the treatment of newly-diagnosed primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) in younger patients (pts.). A 5-year overall survival probability (OS) of 69% could be demonstrated in 30 pts within a phase-II trial on HDT and ASCT with consolidating whole-brain-irradiation (WBRT) (Illerhaus et al. JCO 2006). A subsequent pilot trial on HDT and ASCT without WBRT showed a 5-year OS of 77% (Illerhaus et al. Haematologica 2008). Here we give an update of our two different treatment regimens and future perspectives. Patients and Methods: Thirty pts. ≤65 years were treated within the phase II trial, chemotherapy (CHT) consisted of 3 cycles of high-dose methotrexate (MTX, 8 g/m2), 1 cycle of AraC (2× 3 g/m2) plus thiotepa (TT, 40 mg/m2) followed by rG-CSF and stem-cell-mobilization. Conditioning regimen included BCNU (400 mg/m2) and TT (2×5 mg/kgBW) followed by ASCT. Hyperfractionated WBRT (45 Gy, 2×1Gy/d) was administered as consolidation. In our subsequent pilot trial 13 pts. (age 38–67 years) were treated without consolidating WBRT; CHT was intensified with 4 cycles MTX 8g/m2, 2 cycles AraC (2× 3 g/m2) and TT (40 mg/m2). Dose escalated HDT included BCNU (400 mg/m2) and TT (4×5 mg/kgBW) followed by ASCT. WBRT was reserved for pts. not responding to CHT. Results: Median follow-up of the 30 pts. treated within our phase II trial was extended to 95 months (mo), the updated 5-year OS of all pts. is 66.6% and 82,3% of the subgroup of pts. who underwent HDT and ASCT (n=23), respectively. Three additional deaths occurred due to relapse (n=2) after 45 and 71 mo and due to comorbidity (n=1) after 103 mo. Five of 30 pts. developed severe leukoencephalopathy during follow-up. With a median follow-up of 35 mo in the 13 pts. treated within the pilot-phase without consolidating WBRT 3-year OS of all pts. is 77%. No further relapse or non-relapse mortality occurred in this pilot-group during. Most recent follow-up data will be presented in detail. Conclusion: Sequential systemic application of high-dose cytostatic agents followed by HDT+ASCT is highly effective as initial therapy for pts. with PCNSL. The restriction of WBRT to refractory disease shows similar OS rates and a decrease in neurotoxicity. In an ongoing multicenter phase-II trial immunotherapy with rituximab is combined with HDT and ASCT to further increase remission rates. A future randomized trial should be focused on the efficacy of consolidation with HDT supported by ASCT.


2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (16_suppl) ◽  
pp. 5570-5570
Author(s):  
N. Fuwa ◽  
T. Kodaira ◽  
K. Furutani ◽  
H. Tachibana ◽  
K. Toita ◽  
...  

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