[Primary central nervous system lymphoma: a report of 28 patients]

To evaluate the clinical characteristics, reasonable mode of treatment and prognostic factors in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).

Twenty-eight patients with PCNSL treated from 1989 to 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical characteristics, results of treatment and prognostic factors were analyzed by SPSS10.0 statistic software.

Of 28 patients, 18 men and 10 women with a median age of 52 years. The median survival time was 2 years (range 6 months-6 years). The 5-year survival rate was 21.4%. Nineteen patients had single-locus lesion and 9 multi-locus lesion, 78.6% of the patients were diagnosed as having B-cell origin, its main type being diffuse large cell lymphoma. According to international working formulation (WF), moderate-grade of histopathology was observed in 57.7% (15/28). Cox regression analysis revealed that single- or multi-locus lesion was only independent prognostic factor (P = 0.0417). Combined chemotherapy showed significant efficacy for those patients who had lesion of B-cell origin, high grade or multi-locus lesion, and the efficacy of irregular chemotherapy was better than that of regular chemotherapy.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma has a special prognostic factor. Chemotherapy plays a very important role in comprehensive treatment, irregular chemotherapy should be adopted as a regular treatment.