Treatment of Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Primary CNS Lymphoma (rrPCNSL) Enrolled in the Randomized Trials of the International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group (IELSG)

Background. Literature on the treatment of rrPCNSL is limited to a few retrospective studies and phase II trials addressing new drugs or strategies. Evidence supporting therapeutic choice in patients (pts) with rrPCNSL after modern high-dose-methotrexate (HD-MTX)-based chemotherapy (chemo) followed by consolidative whole-brain irradiation (WBRT) or autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is lacking. We reviewed management and outcome of pts with rrPCNSL in the randomized trials of the IELSG, which included 294 assessable pts, treated with modern approaches, and followed for several years. Herein, we analyse efficacy of salvage options to provide recommendations for routine practice.