Background: The choice between nonmyeloablative chemotherapy (NMA-C) or autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (autoHCT) as consolidation in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), and timing of autoHCT differs among centers. We aimed to clarify these points.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed PCNSL adult patients who received consolidation in CR1 or underwent autoHCT during their treatment course. Cohort A included those who underwent autoHCT in CR1, cohort B included those who underwent NMA-C in CR1, and cohort C included patients who underwent autoHCT in CR2+. We compared cohorts A and B, and cohorts A and C. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), treatment-related mortality (TRM) and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR).
Results: 36 patients were included in cohort A, 30 in cohort B, and 14 in cohort C. The 5-year OS for cohorts A vs B and vs C were 90.7% vs 62.8% (P = .045) and vs 77.9% (P = .32), respectively. The 5-year PFS from diagnosis for cohorts A vs B was 87.8% vs 37.3% (P < .001). The 5-year PFS from autoHCT for cohorts A vs C was 87.6% vs 58.4% (P = .023). The 5-year TRM and CIR in cohorts A vs B was 9.4% vs 9.5% (P = .674), and 2.9% vs 53.2% (P < .001), respectively. The 5-year TRM and CIR in cohorts A vs C from the time of autoHCT was 9.5% vs 22.1% (P = .188), and 2.9% vs 19.5% (P = .104), respectively.
Conclusion: Despite the limitations, thiotepa-based autoHCT in CR1 appears to improve outcomes in eligible patients with PCNSL.
Keywords: CNS lymphoma; Myeloablative chemotherapy; Non-myeloablative consolidation; PCNSL; Stem cell transplant.
Published by Elsevier Inc.