Rituximab, Methotrexate, Procarbazine and Lomustine (R-MPL) for the Treatment of Primary CNS Lymphoma

Introduction:Primary central nervous lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that may involve the brain, spinal cord, leptomeninges and vitreous. The median age at diagnosis is in the fifth decade and most patients (pts) present with significant neurologic deficit and a low performance status. The optimal treatment of PCNSL is controversial. High dose methotrexate (HDMTX) is a standard treatment of PCNSL and is more effective when given in combination with other CNS-penetrating medications, which, however, add to the toxicity of the treatment. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and the safety of the combination of rituximab, HDMTX, procarbazine and lomustine (R-MPL) in pts with PCNSL.