Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the CNS treated with CHOD/BVAM or BVAM chemotherapy before radiotherapy: long-term survival and prognostic factors

PURPOSE: To assess the long-term survival and prognostic factors associated with the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and dexamethasone (CHOD)/carmustine, vincristine, methotrexate, and cytarabine (BVAM) and BVAM chemotherapy regimens followed by cranial radiotherapy in the treatment of primary central nervous system (CNS) non-Hodgkin lymphoma. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Since 1986, high-dose methotrexate (1.5 g/m(2)), cytarabine, vincristine, and carmustine have been used in the BVAM chemotherapy regimen for primary CNS non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, with one cycle of CHOD given before BVAM in patients or=60 years, performance status >or=2, and multifocal and/or meningeal disease [advanced stage]), a score of 0 (8 patients) was associated with a median survival of 55 months, a score of 1 (29 patients) of 41 months, a score of 2 (28 patients) of 32 months, and a score of 3 (12 patients) a median survival of 1 month (p <0.001). The actuarial overall survival for the 35 patients aged <60 years was 32.4% (95% confidence interval, 14.1-50.8%) at 10 years. CONCLUSION: The Nottingham/Barcelona prediction score, which is similar to the International Prognostic Index, may be useful in comparing survival with different regimens studied in Phase II trials. Patients with primary CNS non-Hodgkin's lymphoma aged <60 years treated with CHOD/BVAM or BVAM followed by radiotherapy have a similar long-term survival to that of patients with large B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at other extranodal sites.