Project description:ObjectiveTo provide a summary and analysis of the evidence for various agents applied as maintenance therapy and highlight ongoing trials or trials in development that evaluate the efficacy of maintenance therapy strategies in older patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).BackgroundPCNSL are rare neoplasms that can have an aggressive course with short-lived remissions when compared to systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). There is currently a paucity of evidence on treatment in older adults with PCNSL, who may be unfit to tolerate effective therapies for PCNSL. Those who can tolerate these therapies and survive PCNSL are at increased risk from developing treatment-related toxicity, functional decline, and debilitating neurotoxicity. While there is no clearly defined role for maintenance therapy after treatment of systemic DLBCL, it should be considered in PCNSL because central nervous system (CNS) recurrence often has a devastating and irreversible impact on neurologic function. Therefore, at least theoretically, use of effective maintenance therapy in older adults with PCNSL, either in lieu of consolidation or after consolidation therapy, may be better tolerated and help delay tumor progression, resulting in an improved overall global neurologic function and quality of life.MethodsWe systematically searched MEDLINE (via PubMed) for all studies of drug treatments for maintenance therapy in PCNSL and also relied on expert opinion. We provide a summary and analysis of the evidence for various maintenance therapy agents, including methotrexate, rituximab, lenalidomide, temozolomide, ibrutinib, and procarbazine. We also highlight ongoing trials or trials in development that evaluate the efficacy of maintenance therapy in PCNSL.ConclusionsProspective clinical studies focusing on PCNSL patients who are not candidates for intensive post-induction therapy are scarce. To date, there are no studies that clarify whether maintenance therapy can be used in lieu of consolidation therapy with autologous stem cell transplant or radiation. Prospective studies may provide critical data regarding the identification of optimal agents, whether consolidation therapy could be replaced by maintenance therapy, and the overall role of maintenance therapy as a means to potentially improve survival and preserve quality of life and function in a vulnerable, older patient population.
Project description:Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is an extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) confined to the brain, leptomeninges, eyes, or spinal cord. The majority of PCNSL cases occur in the immunocompetent host, the focus of this review. The prognosis of PCNSL is inferior to that of other NHL subtypes including other organ-specific subtypes of extranodal NHL. The 5- and 10-year survival proportions for PCNSL are 29.3% and 21.6%, respectively. The diagnosis and management of PCNSL differs from that of other primary brain cancers and NHL in other parts of the body.
Project description:Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare extranodal lymphomatous malignancy that affects the brain, spinal cord, leptomeninges, or vitreoretinal space, without evidence of systemic involvement. The diagnosis of PCNSL requires a high level of suspicion because clinical presentation varies depending upon involved structures. Initiation of treatment is time sensitive for optimal neurologic recovery and disease control. In general, the prognosis of PCNSL has improved significantly over the past few decades, largely as a result of the introduction and widespread use of high-dose methotrexate (MTX) chemotherapy, which is considered the backbone of first-line polychemotherapy treatment. Upon completion of MTX-based treatment, a consolidation strategy is often required to prolong duration of response. Consolidation can consist of radiation, maintenance therapy, nonmyeloablative chemotherapy, or myeloablative treatment followed by autologous stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, even with consolidation, relapse is common, and 5-year survival rates stand at only 30% to 40%. Novel insights into the pathophysiology of PCNSL have identified key mechanisms in tumor pathogenesis, including activation of the B-cell receptor pathway, immune evasion, and a suppressed tumor immune microenvironment. These insights have led to the identification of novel small molecules targeting these aberrant pathways. The Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib and immunomodulatory drugs (lenalidomide or pomalidomide) have shown promising clinical response rates for relapsed/refractory PCNSL and are increasingly used for the treatment of recurrent disease. This review provides a discussion of the clinical presentation of PCNSL, the approach to work-up and staging, and an overview of recent advancements in the understanding of the pathophysiology and current treatment strategies for immunocompetent patients.
Project description:Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare and aggressive extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), confined to the brain, eyes, spinal cord or leptomeninges without systemic involvement. Overall prognosis, diagnosis and management of PCNSL differ from other types of NHL. Prompt diagnosis and initiation of treatment are vital to improving clinical outcomes. PCNSL is responsive to radiation therapy, however whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) inadequately controls the disease when used alone and its delayed neurotoxicity causes neurocognitive impairment, especially in elderly patients. High-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX)-based induction chemotherapy with or without autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or reduced-dose WBRT leads to durable disease control and less neurotoxicity. The optimal treatment has yet to be defined, however HD-MTX-based induction chemotherapy is considered standard for newly diagnosed PCNSL. Ongoing randomized trials address the role of rituximab, and of consolidative treatment using ASCT or reduced-dose WBRT. Despite high tumor response rates to initial treatment, many patients have relapsing disease with very poor prognosis. The optimal treatment for refractory or relapsed PCNSL is poorly defined. The choice of salvage treatment depends on age, previous treatment and response, performance status and comorbidities at the time of relapse. Novel therapeutics targeting underlying tumor biology include small molecule inhibitors of B-cell receptor, cereblon, and mammalian target of rapamycin signaling, and immunotherapy programmed cell death 1 receptor inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T cells.
Project description:Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) risk is highly increased in immunosuppressed individuals, such as those with human immunodeficiency virus infection and solid organ transplant recipients, but rates are increasing among immunocompetent older adults (age ?65 years). We utilized data from a large, nationally-representative cohort of older adults in the United States and found that PCNSL is significantly associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, polyarteritis nodusa, autoimmune hepatitis, myasthenia gravis and uveitis. Immunosuppressive drugs given to treat these conditions may increase PCNSL risk, but these associations cannot explain the observed temporal increase in PCNSL rates, given the low prevalence of these conditions.
Project description:Purpose of reviewPrimary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is an aggressive malignancy confined to the brain, spinal cord, leptomeninges, and eyes. Due to its rarity, there is a paucity of randomized trials and a varied approach to its management in the oncologic community. This review summarizes recent literature guiding current clinical practice.Recent findingsThe presentation, work up, and management of PCNSL are discussed. Induction therapy incorporates a methotrexate-based chemotherapy regimen and is generally followed by a consolidation regimen including high dose chemotherapy (with or without autologous stem cell rescue). Whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is a potential additional consolidation strategy. Management of relapsed and refractory disease poses a special challenge due to poor outcomes. Immunotherapy and targeted treatments are promising novel strategies for recurrent/refractory patients. Currently, there is little consensus in the management of PCNSL. Treatment recommendations should be tailored to the individual patient, with consideration for risk of neurotoxicity. New, exciting strategies are in development and when feasible, enrollment in a clinical trial should be considered.
Project description:Little is known about the genomic basis of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) tumorigenesis. To investigate the mutational profile of PCNSL, we analyzed nine paired tumor and germline DNA samples from PCNSL patients by high throughput exome sequencing. Eight genes of interest have been further investigated by focused resequencing in 28 additional PCNSL tumors to better estimate their incidence. Our study identified recurrent somatic mutations in 37 genes, some involved in key signaling pathways such as NFKB, B cell differentiation and cell cycle control. Focused resequencing in the larger cohort revealed high mutation rates for genes already described as mutated in PCNSL such as MYD88 (38%), CD79B (30%), PIM1 (22%) and TBL1XR1 (19%) and for genes not previously reported to be involved in PCNSL tumorigenesis such as ETV6 (16%), IRF4 (14%), IRF2BP2 (11%) and EBF1 (11%). Of note, only 3 somatically acquired SNVs were annotated in the COSMIC database. Our results demonstrate a high genetic heterogeneity of PCNSL and mutational pattern similarities with extracerebral diffuse large B cell lymphomas, particularly of the activated B-cell (ABC) subtype, suggesting shared underlying biological mechanisms. The present study provides new insights into the mutational profile of PCNSL and potential targets for therapeutic strategies.
Project description:Primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare diffuse large B-cell lymphoma originating within the central nervous system. The overall incidence of PCNSL is rising, particularly in the elderly population. Immunosuppression is a strong risk factor, but most patients with this tumor are apparently immunocompetent. Diagnosis of PCNSL can be challenging. Non-invasive or minimally invasive tests such as ophthalmological evaluation and spinal fluid analysis may be useful, but the majority of patients require tumor biopsy for definitive diagnosis. Our knowledge concerning optimum treatment of PCNSL is fragmentary due to paucity of adequately sized trials. Most patients are now initially treated with high-dose-methotrexate-based chemotherapy alone, as the addition of whole-brain radiotherapy at standard doses has not been shown to increase survival and does increase the risk of neurological toxicity. Ongoing trials are addressing issues such as the roles of reduced-dose radiotherapy, the addition of the CD20 antibody rituximab to chemotherapy, high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation, and maintenance therapy in the primary management of PCNSL.
Project description:Primary central nervous system lymphoma is an invasive malignant lymphoma confined to the central nervous system. Although patients undergoing first-line treatment can achieve complete response, most of them still relapse within two years. Relapsed lymphoma is derived from occult lymphoma cells, and B cell receptor pathway activation and immune escape are the key mechanisms for the pathogenesis of PCNSL. Most relapses are in the central nervous system, a small number of relapses are isolated systemic relapses, and clinical symptoms occur early and vary. Current treatments for relapse include high-dose methotrexate rechallenge and other regimens of chemotherapy, whole-brain radiation therapy, hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, which have become promising treatments. The overall prognosis of relapsed PCNSL is very poor, although it is affected by many factors. This article summarizes the mechanisms, related factors, clinical features, follow-up, treatment and prognosis of relapsed primary central nervous system lymphoma.
Project description:Primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma (PCNSL) is a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) confined to the CNS. A genome-wide gene expression comparison between PCNSL and non-CNS DLBCL was performed, the latter consisting of both nodal and extranodal DLBCL (nDLBCL and enDLBCL), to identify a "CNS signature." Pathway analysis with the program SigPathway revealed that PCNSL is characterized notably by significant differential expression of multiple extracellular matrix (ECM) and adhesion-related pathways. The most significantly up-regulated gene is the ECM-related osteopontin (SPP1). Expression at the protein level of ECM-related SPP1 and CHI3L1 in PCNSL cells was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. The alterations in gene expression can be interpreted within several biologic contexts with implications for PCNSL, including CNS tropism (ECM and adhesion-related pathways, SPP1, DDR1), B-cell migration (CXCL13, SPP1), activated B-cell subtype (MUM1), lymphoproliferation (SPP1, TCL1A, CHI3L1), aggressive clinical behavior (SPP1, CHI3L1, MUM1), and aggressive metastatic cancer phenotype (SPP1, CHI3L1). The gene expression signature discovered in our study may represent a true "CNS signature" because we contrasted PCNSL with wide-spectrum non-CNS DLBCL on a genomic scale and performed an in-depth bioinformatic analysis.