PURPOSE To determine the efficacy and toxicity of chemoimmunotherapy followed by either whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) or intensive chemotherapy and autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) as a first-line treatment of primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL). PATIENTS AND METHODS Immunocompetent patients (18 to 60 years of age) with untreated PCNSL were randomly assigned to receive WBRT or ASCT as consolidation treatment after induction chemotherapy consisting of two cycles of R-MBVP (rituximab 375 mg/m2 day (D) 1, methotrexate 3 g/m2 D1; D15, VP16 100 mg/m2 D2, BCNU 100 mg/m2 D3, prednisone 60 mg/kg/d D1-D5) followed by two cycles of R-AraC (rituximab 375 mg/m2 D1, cytarabine 3 g/m2 D1 to D2). Intensive chemotherapy consisted of thiotepa (250 mg/m2/d D9; D8; D7), busulfan (8 mg/kg D6 through D4), and cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg/d D3; D2). WBRT delivered 40 Gy (2 Gy/fraction). The primary end point was 2-year progression-free survival. Cognitive outcome was the main secondary end point. Analysis was intention to treat in a noncomparative phase II trial. RESULTS Between October 2008 and February 2014, 140 patients were recruited from 23 French centers. Both WBRT and ASCT met the predetermined threshold (among the first 38 patients in each group, at least 24 patients were alive and disease free at 2 years). The 2-year progression-free survival rates were 63% (95% CI, 49% to 81%) and 87% (95% CI, 77% to 98%) in the WBRT and ASCT arms, respectively. Toxicity deaths were recorded in one and five patients after WBRT and ASCT, respectively. Cognitive impairment was observed after WBRT, whereas cognitive functions were preserved or improved after ASCT. CONCLUSION WBRT and ASCT are effective consolidation treatments for patients with PCNSL who are 60 years of age and younger. The efficacy end points tended to favor the ASCT arm. The specific risk of each procedure should be considered.

were 18 CR/uCR (40%) and 12 PR (27%) during the induction phase. The maintenance phase was started and completed by 18 and 5 patients, respectively. With a median follow-up of 19.2 months (range 1.5-31), the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 7.8 months (95% CI 3.9-11.3) and 17.7 months (95% CI 12.9 to not reached), respectively. No unexpected toxicity was observed. The peripheral baseline CD4/CD8 ratio impacted PFS [median PFS ¼ 9.5 months (95% CI, 8.1-14.8] for CD4/CD8 1.6; median PFS ¼ 2.8 months, [95% CI, 1.1-7.8) for CD4/CD8 < 1.6, P ¼ 0.03).Conclusions: The R 2 regimen showed significant activity in R/R PCNSL and PVRL patients. These results support assessments of the efficacy of R 2 combined with methotrexate-based chemotherapy as a first-line treatment of PCNSL.

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported. We previously reported the results of a randomized phase II study in patients with newly diagnosed primary CNS lymphoma (age 18-60 years). Patients were treated with high-dose methotrexate-based induction chemotherapy followed by whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) or high-dose chemotherapy (thiotepa-busulfan-cyclophosphamide) with autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT). The median follow-up was 33 months. In this report, we provide long-term data (median follow-up, 8 years) regarding the outcomes and toxicities. Fifty-three and 44 patients received induction chemotherapy followed by WBRT or ASCT, respectively. Their 8-year event-free survival from random assignment was 67% and 39% in the ASCT and WBRT arms, respectively ( P = .03), with a significantly lower risk of relapse after ASCT (hazard ratio = 0.13, P < .001). One third of patients who relapsed after WBRT were alive after salvage treatment. Five and four patients died of ASCT and WBRT-related toxicities, respectively. The 8-year overall survival was 69% and 65% in the ASCT and WBRT arms, respectively (not significant). Balance (52% v 10%, P ≤ 0.001) and neurocognition (64% v 13%, P < .001) significantly deteriorated after WBRT compared with ASCT during the follow-up. This study shows that 40 Gy WBRT should be avoided in first-line treatment because of its neurotoxicity and suboptimal efficacy in reducing relapses while ASCT appears to be highly efficient in preventing relapses.

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Introduction: We previously reported the results of the PRECIS trial with a median follow-up of 33 months. Both whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ACST) were effective according to the predetermined threshold. However, more relapses occurred in the WBRT arm. The 2-year event-free survival (EFS) from consolidation (relapse or death defined as event) were 69% (95% CI, 57% to 83%) and 87% (95% CI, 77% to 98%) after WBRT and ASCT, respectively (p = 0.03). Overall survival (OS) was similar in both arms. Cognitive impairment was observed after WBRT, whereas cognitive functions were preserved or improved after ASCT. A longer follow-up is required to better assess the impact of the treatment on relapse, survival and late complications. We report here the results of the PRECIS trial with a median follow-up of 98.3 months [min= 4,1 - max= 131.1], focusing on the per protocol population from time of consolidation. Methods: Immunocompetent patients (18 to 60 years of age) with untreated primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) were randomly assigned upfront to receive WBRT (Arm A) or ASCT (Arm B) as consolidation treatment after an induction chemotherapy consisting of two cycles of R-MBVP (rituximab, methotrexate, VP16, BCNU, prednisone) followed by two cycles of R-AraC (rituximab, cytarabine). Intensive chemotherapy consisted of thiotepa (250 mg/m2/d D9; D8; D7), busulfan (8 mg/kg D6 through D4), and cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg/d D3; D2). WBRT delivered 40 Gy (2 Gy/ fraction). Cognitive functions were prospectively assessed until disease progression and focused on global cognitive function, episodic verbal memory, attention and mental flexibility, and psychoaffective status. Results: 140 patients were randomized (Arm A: N = 70; Arm B: N = 70). Fifty-three and 44 patients completed WBRT and ASCT respectively (per protocol population), including 3 and 5 patients who were in progressive disease (PD) at time of WBRT and ASCT, respectively. 8-y EFS from time of consolidation in the per protocol population was 75.9% [63.3-91.0] and 39.9% [26.8-59.3] after ASCT and WBRT, respectively (p = 0.007) (fig 1a). The risk of relapse was significantly decreased after ASCT compared to WBRT (8-y relapse-free interval 94.1% [86.4-100] vs 47.6% [34.2-66.3], (p &lt;0.001) (fig 1b). The 8-year overall survival from time of consolidation was similar in both arms, 63.4% [49.8 - 80.6] and 69.3% [56.7-84.8] in the WBRT and ASCT arms, respectively (fig1c). Among the 24 patients who relapsed after WBRT, 13 patients received subsequent salvage chemotherapy and consolidative ASCT, and seven of these patients were disease-free at last follow-up. Causes of deaths after WBRT (n = 17) were PD (n = 12), neurotoxicity (n = 3), second-line ASCT (n = 2). After ASCT, causes of deaths (n = 14) were treatment-related death (n = 5, including 2 occurring &gt; 100 days post-ASCT, and 2 in patients in PD before ASCT), PD (n = 4), neurotoxicity following salvage WBRT (n = 1), second solid cancer (n = 3) and undetermined in one patient. In multivariate analysis, ECOG, disease status at the end of induction, and protein level in the CSF at diagnosis were independent prognostic factors for OS. Disease status at the end of induction and intraocular involvement at diagnosis were independent prognostic factors for EFS. Cognitive decline that could be fatal was only observed in patients who received WBRT. Imaging analysis of post consolidation leukoencephalopathy is ongoing. Conclusions: Consolidation with ASCT after HD-MTX based induction chemotherapy resulted in an excellent disease control but with a higher treatment-related mortality than WBRT. Severe Cognitive decline and late treatment-induced neurotoxic deaths were observed after WBRT. Intensity of the thiotepa-busulfan-cyclophosphamide regimen used before ASCT should be slightly reduced to improve the benefit/risk ratio of ASCT in first-line treatment of young patients with PCNSL. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Sylvain: Sanofi, Celegene, Roche, Abbvie, Sandoz, Janssen, Takeda: Consultancy. Damaj: takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; roche: Consultancy, Honoraria. Sanhes: Sanofi: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.