A phase 1 dose escalation study of idarubicin combined with methotrexate, vindesine, and prednisolone for untreated elderly patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma. The GOELAMS LCP 99 trial

Impact of Folinic Acid Dosing on Efficacy and Toxicity of High-Dose Methotrexate in Central Nervous System Lymphoma

INTRODUCTION

High-dose methotrexate (HDMTX)-based regimens are the treatment of choice in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). Folinic acid (FA) rescue is used to mitigate the toxic effects of MTX on normal cells. However, the optimal dosing of FA in PCNSL remains uncertain.

METHODS

We analyzed the relationship between FA dosing and treatment efficacy and toxicity in a cohort of 36 PCNSL patients treated at our institute between the years 2014 and 2022. A combination of univariate and multivariate analyses using known prognostic factors were used to determine the association between FA dosing and treatment outcomes.

RESULTS

We found that higher per-treatment cumulative FA doses were associated with inferior progression-free survival (PFS), with a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.2 for each 100 mg/m2 increase in FA dose. We identified a threshold of 350 mg/m2/treatment, above which there was a significant reduction in PFS. Notably, lower FA doses did not result in increased toxicity.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that optimizing FA dosing to avoid very high rescue doses may improve treatment outcomes in PCNSL patients receiving HDMTX. Further prospective studies are warranted to validate these findings.

Age-adjusted high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation or conventional chemotherapy with R-MP as first-line treatment in elderly primary CNS lymphoma patients - the randomized phase III PRIMA-CNS trial

BACKGROUND

Older primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) patients have an inferior prognosis compared to younger patients because available evidence on best treatment is scarce and treatment delivery is challenging due to comorbidities and reduced performance status. High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HCT-ASCT) after high-dose methotrexate (MTX)-based immuno-chemotherapy has become an increasingly used treatment approach in eligible elderly PCNSL patients with promising feasibility and efficacy, but has not been compared with conventional chemotherapy approaches. In addition, eligibility for HCT-ASCT in elderly PCNSL is not well defined. Geriatric assessment (GA) may be helpful in selecting patients for the best individual treatment choice, but no standardized GA exists to date. A randomized controlled trial, incorporating a GA and comparing age-adapted HCT-ASCT treatment with conventional chemotherapy is needed.

METHODS

This open-label, multicenter, randomized phase III trial with two parallel arms will recruit 310 patients with newly diagnosed PCNSL > 65 years of age in 40 centers in Germany and Austria. The primary objective is to demonstrate that intensified chemotherapy followed by consolidating HCT-ASCT is superior to conventional chemotherapy with rituximab, MTX, procarbazine (R-MP) followed by maintenance with procarbazine in terms of progression free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS), event free survival (EFS), (neuro-)toxicity and quality of life (QoL). GA will be conducted at specific time points during the course of the study. All patients will be treated with a pre-phase rituximab-MTX (R-MTX) cycle followed by re-assessment of transplant eligibility. Patients judged transplant eligible will be randomized (1:1). Patients in arm A will be treated with 3 cycles of R-MP followed by maintenance therapy with procarbazine for 6 months. Patients in arm B will be treated with 2 cycles of MARTA (R-MTX/AraC) followed by busulfan- and thiotepa-based HCT-ASCT.

DISCUSSION

The best treatment strategy for elderly PCNSL patients remains unknown. Treatments range from palliative to curative but more toxic therapies, and there is no standardized measure to select patients for the right treatment. This randomized controlled trial will create evidence for the best treatment strategy with the focus on developing a standardized GA to help define eligibility for an intensive treatment approach.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German clinical trials registry DRKS00024085 registered March 29, 2023.

A Systematic Review of High-Dose Methotrexate for Adults with Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a highly aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is confined within the CNS. Due to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) is the backbone for induction chemotherapy. This systematic review was conducted to observe outcomes among different HDMTX doses (low, <3 g/m²; intermediate, 3-4.9 g/m²; high, ≥5 g/m²) and regimens used in the treatment of PCNSL. A PubMed search resulted in 26 articles reporting clinical trials using HDMTX for PCNSL, from which 35 treatment cohorts were identified for analysis. The median dose of HDMTX used for induction was 3.5 g/m² (interquartile range IQR, 3-3.5); the intermediate dose was most frequently used in the studies examined (24 cohorts, 69%). Five cohorts used HDMTX monotherapy, 19 cohorts used HDMTX + polychemotherapy, and 11 cohorts used HDMTX + rituximab ± polychemotherapy. Pooled overall response rate (ORR) estimates for low, intermediate, and high dose HDMTX cohorts were 71%, 76%, and 76%, respectively. Pooled 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) estimates for low, intermediate, and high HDMTX dose cohorts were 50%, 51%, and 55%, respectively. Regimens that included rituximab showed a tendency to have higher ORR and 2-year PFS than those that did not include rituximab. These findings indicate that current protocols utilizing 3-4 g/m² of HDMTX in combination with rituximab provide therapeutic efficacy in PCNSL.

A prospective cohort study of methotrexate plus idarubicin in newly diagnosed primary CNS lymphoma

PURPOSE

High-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX)-based chemotherapy regimen is the first-line option for primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). This prospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of HD-MTX plus idarubicin (IDA) in patients with newly diagnosed immunocompetent PCNSL.

METHODS

We recruited newly diagnosed PCNSL patients from January 2017 to August 2020. Patients were assigned into two groups: HD-MTX monotherapy and HD-MTX plus IDA (HD-MTX/IDA). In the HD-MTX monotherapy group, patients were treated with MTX 8 g/m² alone on day 1, while the HD-MTX/IDA group received MTX 8 g/m² on day 1 and IDA 10 mg/m² on day 2. Treatments were repeated every 3 weeks for 8 cycles except for progression and/or unacceptable toxicity.

RESULTS

We recruited 61 PCNSL patients, including 36 in the HD-MTX and 25 in the HD-MTX/IDA group. The CR rate was 68% in the HD-MTX/IDA group and 72.22% of patients in the HD-MTX monotherapy group (p = 0.7221), while the overall response rate was 72% vs. 77.78% (p = 0.6063). Median PFS in HD-MTX/IDA group and HD-MTX monotherapy group were 15.6 months and 18.5 months, respectively (p = 0.6374). Median OS was not reached in both groups. There were no significant differences in adverse effects between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of IDA with HD-MTX showed no obvious therapeutic advantage over HD-MTX monotherapy in newly diagnosed patients with PCNSL. HD-MTX dose of 8 g/m² monotherapy can still provide better therapeutic benefits in patients with acceptable adverse effects. Future studies could explore HD-MTX in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents in the first-line treatment of PCNSL.

Treatment Regimens for Immunocompetent Elderly Patients with Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: A Scoping Review

Simple Summary

Most patients diagnosed with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) are 60 years or older and tend to have a poor prognosis. Evidence to guide and optimize treatment choices for these vulnerable patients is limited. We performed a scoping review to identify and describe all relevant clinical studies investigating chemotherapies and combinations of chemotherapies (including high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (HCT-ASCT)) in elderly PCNSL patients. In total, we identified six randomized controlled trials, 26 prospective and 24 retrospective studies (with/without control group). While most studies investigated protocols based on ‘conventional’ chemotherapy treatment, data evaluating HCT-ASCT in the elderly were scarce, and the generalizability of the only RCT published is questionable. Considering the poor prognosis of these patients and their need for more effective treatment options, a thoroughly planned randomized controlled trial comparing HCT-ASCT with ‘conventional’ chemoimmunotherapy is urgently needed to evaluate the efficacy of HCT-ASCT.

Abstract

Background: Most patients diagnosed with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) are older than 60 years. Despite promising treatment options for younger patients, prognosis for the elderly remains poor and efficacy of available treatment options is limited. Materials and Methods: We conducted a scoping review to identify and summarize the current study pool available evaluating different types and combinations of (immuno) chemotherapy with a special focus on HCT-ASCT in elderly PCNSL. Relevant studies were identified through systematic searches in the bibliographic databases Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and ScienceDirect (last search conducted in September 2020). For ongoing studies, we searched ClinicalTrials.gov, the German study register and the WHO registry. Results: In total, we identified six randomized controlled trials (RCT) with 1.346 patients, 26 prospective (with 1.366 patients) and 24 retrospective studies (with 2.629 patients). Of these, only six studies (one completed and one ongoing RCT (with 447 patients), one completed and one ongoing prospective single arm study (with 65 patients), and two retrospective single arm studies (with 122 patients)) evaluated HCT-ASCT. Patient relevant outcomes such as progression-free and overall survival and (neuro-)toxicity were adequately considered across almost all studies. The current study pool is, however, not conclusive in terms of the most effective treatment options for elderly. Main limitations were (very) small sample sizes and heterogeneous patient populations in terms of age ranges (particularly in RCTs) limiting the applicability of the results to the target population (elderly). Conclusions: Although it has been shown that HCT-ASCT is probably a feasible and effective treatment option, this approach has never been investigated within a RCT including a wide range of elderly patients. A RCT comparing conventional (immuno) chemotherapy with HCT-ASCT is crucial to evaluate benefit and harms in an un-biased manner to eventually provide older PCNSL patients with the most effective treatment.

Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma in Elderly Patients: Management and Perspectives

The management of elderly patients suffering from primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma, who represent a rapidly growing population, is challenging. Despite the advances made in PCNSL treatment, the prognosis in older patients remains unsatisfactory. The high risk of systemic and CNS toxicity induced by a high-dose chemotherapy regimen and radiation therapy, respectively, limits the use of consolidation phase treatments in elderly patients and contributes to the poor outcome of these patients. Here, we review the current treatment strategies and ongoing trials proposed for elderly PCNSL patients.

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant in elderly patients with primary CNS lymphoma: a pilot study

Age-adapted high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation is safe and highly effective in elderly patients with PCNSL.

Diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of primary central nervous system lymphoma in the elderly population (Review)

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare subtype of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is unique and different from systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. The median age at diagnosis of PCNSL is 65 years and its incidence is rising rapidly in the elderly population. A total of ≥20% of all patients with PCNSL are ≥80 years old. Notably, age has been identified as an independent poor prognostic factor for PCNSL. Elderly patients have an inferior prognosis to that of younger patients and are more severely affected by iatrogenic toxicity; therefore, elderly patients represent a unique and vulnerable treatment subgroup. The present review summarized the available literature to provide an improved understanding of the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, prognosis and management of PCNSL in the elderly population. Notably, the incidence of PCNSL in immunocompetent elderly patients, predominantly in men, is increasing. For the diagnosis of CNSL, imaging-guided stereotactic biopsy is considered the gold standard. When stereotactic biopsy is not possible or conclusive, certain biomarkers have been described that can help establish a diagnosis. PCNSL has a very poor prognosis in the elderly, even though several prognostic scoring systems exist and several prognostic markers have been reported in patients with PCNSL. Furthermore, the treatment of elderly patients remains challenging; it is unlikely that a novel agent could be used as a curative monotherapy; however, a combination of novel agents with polychemotherapy or its combination with other novel drugs may have therapeutic potential.

Advances and challenges in the treatment of primary central nervous system lymphoma

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), a rare variant of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is characterized by distinct biological characteristics and clinical behaviors, and patient prognosis is not satisfactory. The advent of high-dose (HD) methotrexate (HD-MTX) therapy has significantly improved PCNSL prognosis. Currently, HD-MTX-based chemotherapy regimens are recognized as first-line treatment. PCNSL is sensitive to radiotherapy, and whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) can consolidate response to chemotherapy; however, WBRT-associated delayed neurotoxicity leads to neurocognitive impairment, especially in elderly patients. Other effective approaches include rituximab, temozolomide, and autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT). In addition, new drugs against PCNSL such as those targeting the B-cell receptor signaling pathway, are undergoing clinical trials. However, optimal therapeutic approaches in PCNSL remain undefined. This review provides an overview of advances in surgical approaches, induction chemotherapy, radiotherapy, ASCT, salvage treatments, and novel therapeutic approaches in immunocompetent patients with PCNSL in the past 5 years. Additionally, therapeutic progress in elderly patients and in those with relapsed/refractory PCNSL is also summarized based on the outcomes of recent clinical studies.

Evolving Treatments for Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma

Primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma (PCNSL) is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that remains confined to the CNS neuroaxis during its natural history of disease and is therefore considered stage IE disease. PCNSL is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) morphology in more than 95% of patients and is designated primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the CNS on the basis of the 2017 World Health Organization classification of hematopoietic and lymphoid tumors. Rapidly evolving therapeutic paradigms have been linked to evidence of progress in PCNSL, a disease long considered to be incurable. Increasing evidence supports the need for efficient diagnosis, staging, and initiation of therapy, ideally at centers with experience with this type of brain cancer. High-dose methotrexate (MTX) remains a cornerstone of induction regimens, and most data support the use of rituximab. However, clinical research challenges must address key questions, including the development of ever more effective and less toxic induction regimens and the selection of the most appropriate and effective consolidation approaches, as well as the fact that, increasingly, PCNSL affects older patients who do not tolerate strong genotoxic irradiation or high-dose chemotherapy (HDC)-based strategies. Maintenance therapy, immunotherapy, and the implementation of targeted agents on the basis of the molecular and biologic properties of the disease create opportunities for precision medicine and the potential for long-term disease-free survival and cure, with minimal treatment-related neurotoxicity, for a greater fraction of patients.

Management of primary central nervous system lymphoma

A rare tumor, primary central nervous system lymphoma can affect immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. While sensitive to radiotherapy or chemotherapy crossing the blood-brain barrier, it often recurs. Modern treatment consists of high-dose methotrexate-based induction chemotherapy, often followed by consolidation with either radiotherapy or further chemotherapy. Neurotoxicity is however a concern with radiotherapy, especially for patients older than 60 years. The benefit of the addition of rituximab to chemotherapy is unclear. Targeted therapies and immunotherapy have been effective in some patients and are tested on a larger scale. Survival has improved in the last decade, but remains poor in older patients.

Impact of front line relative dose intensity for methotrexate and comorbidities in immunocompetent elderly patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma

Primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL) are non-Hodgkin lymphomas strictly localized to the CNS, occurring mainly in elderly patients with comorbidities. Current treatment in fit patients relies on high-dose methotrexate and high-dose cytarabine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of this treatment in elderly patients and to assess potential prognostic factors associated with survival. We conducted a retrospective study in two centers between January 2008 and September 2015 including 35 elderly immunocompetent patients who received first-line treatment with high-dose methotrexate. With a median follow-up of 19.8 months (range: 1.7-73.4 months), median overall survival (OS) was 39.5 months (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 18.3-60.7) and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 25.8 months (95% CI: 5.2-46.4). In univariate analysis, administration of high-dose cytarabine and achieving a relative dose intensity for methotrexate > 75% were associated with increased OS (p = 0.006 and p = 0.003, respectively) and PFS (p = 0.003 and p = 0.04, respectively) whereas comorbidities, defined by a CIRS-G score ≥ 8, were associated with decreased OS and PFS (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04, respectively). A high MSKCC score was associated with decreased OS (p = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, administration of high-dose cytarabine was associated with increased OS and PFS (p = 0.02 and p = 0.007, respectively). Comorbidities and relative dose intensity for methotrexate are important for the prognosis of elderly patients with PCNSL. These results must be confirmed in prospective trials.

Methotrexate plus idarubicin improves outcome of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with poor long-term survival. This study assessed methotrexate (MTX) plus idarubicin (IDA) in treating patients of PCNSL comparing to MTX alone therapy. A total of 100 patients were retrospectively enrolled and subjected to MTX alone (n = 52) and MTX plus IDA (n = 48). The completed response (CR) rate in patients treated with MTX plus IDA was 62.50%, and overall response (OR) rate was 79.17%, which in MTX alone cohort were 42.31% and 63.46% respectively. Median progression-free survival (PFS) of patients treated with MTX plus IDA was significantly better than those treated with MTX alone (18.35 months vs.8.45months, P = 0.000). The MTX plus IDA regimen exhibited a significantly better control of PCNSL. Further studies would be needed to confirm these results.

High-dose methotrexate-based immuno-chemotherapy for elderly primary CNS lymphoma patients (PRIMAIN study)

To investigate immuno-chemotherapy for elderly immuno-competent patients (⩾65 years) with newly diagnosed primary central nervous system lymphoma, we conducted a multicentre single-arm trial. One cycle consisted of rituximab (375 mg/m², days 1, 15, 29), high-dose methotrexate (3 g/m² days 2, 16, 30), procarbazine (60 mg/m² days 2–11) and lomustine (110 mg/m², day 2)—R-MPL protocol. Owing to infectious complications, we omitted lomustine during the study and consecutive patients were treated with the R-MP protocol. Three cycles were scheduled and repeated on day 43. Subsequently, patients commenced 4 weekly maintenance treatment with procarbazine (100 mg for 5 days). Primary end point was complete remission (CR) after 3 cycles. We included 107 patients (69 treated with R-MPL and 38 with R-MP). In all, 38/107 patients achieved CR (35.5%) and 15 (14.0%) achieved partial remission. R-MP was associated with a lower CR rate (31.6%) compared with R-MPL (37.7%), but respective 2-year progression-free survival (All 37.3% R-MP 34.9% R-MPL 38.8%) and overall survival (All 47.0% R-MP 47.7% R-MPL 46.0%) rates were similar. R-MP was associated with less ⩾grade 3 toxicities compared with R-MPL (71.1% vs 87.0%). R-MP is more feasible while still associated with similar efficacy compared with R-MPL and warrants further improvement in future studies.

Pemetrexed for primary central nervous system lymphoma in the elderly

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a consecutive series of elderly patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) treated with single-agent pemetrexed without radiotherapy or intrathecal chemotherapy.

METHODS

Twelve histologically confirmed newly diagnosed PCNSL patients older than 65 years were studied between 2008 and 2013. An induction chemotherapy was initially given (pemetrexed 600 mg/m(2) on day 1, every 3 weeks). Patients achieving a complete, partial response or stable disease proceeded to a maintenance phase (up to 6 cycles). Patients with progressive/recurrent disease (PD) were treated with whole brain radiotherapy on an individual basis.

RESULTS

Four patients presented complete response, six patients showed partial response and two patients presented progressive disease. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.0 months [95 % confidence interval (CI) 2.0-45.3] and the median overall survival was 19.5 months (95 % CI 5.0-45.3). Adverse events included leukocytopenia, anemia, fatigue, rash and vomiting. No neurotoxicity or treatment-related death was observed. The estimated 1-year and 2-year survival rate was 66.7 and 41.7 %, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our efficacy results demonstrate that the single-agent pemetrexed was feasible, active and well tolerated in elderly patients with PCNSL. Furthermore, this single-agent regimen results in higher response rates and less toxicity comparable with other chemotherapy or radiotherapy regimens. Prospectively, controlled studies are warranted to confirm such results.

First-line treatment and outcome of elderly patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL)--a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To investigate prognosis and effects of first-line therapy in elderly primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A systematic review of studies about first-line therapy in immunocompetent patients ≥60 years with PCNSL until 2014 and a meta-analysis of individual patient data from eligible studies and international collaborators were carried out.

RESULTS

We identified 20 eligible studies; from 13 studies, we obtained individual data of 405 patients, which were pooled with data of 378 additional patients (N = 783). Median age and Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) was 68 years (range: 60-90 years) and 60% (range: 10%-100%), respectively. Treatments varied greatly, 573 (73%) patients received high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX)-based therapy. A total of 276 patients received whole-brain radiotherapy (median 36 Gy, range 28.5-70 Gy). KPS ≥ 70% was the strongest prognostic factor for mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-0.62]. After a median follow-up of 40 months, HD-MTX-based therapy was associated with improved survival (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.53-0.93). There was no difference between HD-MTX plus oral chemotherapy and more aggressive HD-MTX-based therapies (HR 1.39, 95% CI 0.90-2.15). Radiotherapy was associated with an improved survival, but correlated with an increased risk for neurological side-effects (odds ratio 5.23, 95% CI 2.33-11.74).

CONCLUSIONS

Elderly PCNSL patients benefit from HD-MTX-based therapy, especially if combined with oral alkylating agents. More aggressive HD-MTX protocols do not seem to improve outcome. WBRT may improve outcome, but is associated with increased risk for neurological side-effects. Prospective trials for elderly PCNSL patients are warranted.