Advances in the treatment of newly diagnosed primary central nervous system lymphomas

• Published in: Blood research Vol. 52; no. 3; pp. 159 - 166
• Main Authors: Qian, Liren, Tomuleasa, Ciprian, Florian, Ioan-Alexandru, Shen, Jianliang, Florian, Ioan-Stefan, Zdrenghea, Mihnea, Dima, Delia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Hematology; Korean Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation; Korean Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology; Korean Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis 01-09-2017; 대한혈액학회
• Subjects: Review; 병리학; Rituximab; Primary central nervous system lymphoma; Methotrexate; Whole-brain radiotherapy
• ISSN: 2287-979X; 2288-0011
• DOI: 10.5045/br.2017.52.3.159

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a type of highly invasive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. With a growing number of organ transplantation and immunosuppressant therapy, the incidence of PCNSL has been growing rapidly in recent years, which is attributed to the increased incidence of HIV/AIDS, a prominent risk factor for developing PCNSL. The rising rate of PCNSL incidence is the highest among the intracranial tumors. In the past 20 years, dozens of clinical trials related to PCNSL have been registered, but adequate therapeutics are still challenging. Currently, the chemotherapy regimens based on high-dose methotrexate and whole-brain radiotherapy are the two main therapeutic options; however, the toxicity associated with those is the main problem that challenges medical researchers. Novel agents and therapeutic strategies have been developed in recent years. In the current review, we describe advances in the treatment of PCNSL and discuss novel therapeutic approaches currently in development, such as the use of rituximab, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, and state-of-the-art radiotherapy.