Adjusted High-dose Chemotherapy With Autologous Stem Cell Transplant vs. Conventional Immunochemotherapy in Elderly PCNSL Patients

Summary

Most patients being diagnosed with primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the central nervous system (PCNSL) are 60 years or older. Elderly patients with PCNSL have a poor prognosis and there is a great medical need to improve outcome for this vulnerable population. In Germany and many international centres, there are currently two widely used strategies to treat elderly PCNSL patients who are eligible for high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) treatment, which have not yet been compared head-to-head. The R-MP regimen has been established by the Cooperative PCNSL Study Group as a "conventional" immunochemotherapy standard treatment for elderly patients with newly diagnosed disease and consists of Rituximab, HD-MTX and Procarbazine followed by maintenance therapy with Procarbazine. In contrast, another recently established protocol also includes HD-MTX-based induction therapy, but followed by consolidating high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HCT-ASCT). This is an overall more intensive, but substantially shorter treatment approach, feasible for elderly patients being considered eligible for a more intensive treatment. The PRIMA-CNS trial aims to compare these two treatment approaches with respect to survival, response rates and toxicity.

Timeline

Start

2023-08-09

Primary completion

2029-08-31

Completion

2031-08-31

Publications

• Background Schorb E, Isbell LK, Kerkhoff A, Mathas S, Braulke F, Egerer G, Roth A, Schliffke S, Borchmann P, Brunnberg U, Kroschinsky F, Mohle R, Rank A, Wellnitz D, Kasenda B, Pospiech L, Wendler J, Scherer F, Deckert M, Henkes E, von Gottberg P, Gmehlin D, Backenstrass M, Jensch A, Burger-Martin E, Grishina O, Fricker H, Malenica N, Orban A, Duyster J, Ihorst G, Finke J, Illerhaus G. High-dose chemotherapy and autologous haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in older, fit patients with primary diffuse large B-cell CNS lymphoma (MARTA): a single-arm, phase 2 trial. Lancet Haematol. 2024 Mar;11(3):e196-e205. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(23)00371-X. Epub 2024 Jan 29.
• Background Mendez JS, Ostrom QT, Gittleman H, Kruchko C, DeAngelis LM, Barnholtz-Sloan JS, Grommes C. The elderly left behind-changes in survival trends of primary central nervous system lymphoma over the past 4 decades. Neuro Oncol. 2018 Apr 9;20(5):687-694. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/nox187.
• Background Houillier C, Soussain C, Ghesquieres H, Soubeyran P, Chinot O, Taillandier L, Lamy T, Choquet S, Ahle G, Damaj G, Agape P, Molucon-Chabrot C, Amiel A, Delwail V, Fabbro M, Jardin F, Chauchet A, Moles-Moreau MP, Morschhauser F, Casasnovas O, Gressin R, Fornecker LM, Abraham J, Marolleau JP, Tempescul A, Campello C, Colin P, Tamburini J, Laribi K, Serrier C, Haioun C, Chebrek S, Schmitt A, Blonski M, Houot R, Boyle E, Bay JO, Oberic L, Tabouret E, Waultier A, Martin-Duverneuil N, Touitou V, Cassoux N, Kas A, Mokhtari K, Charlotte F, Alentorn A, Feuvret L, Le Garff-Tavernier M, Costopoulos M, Mathon B, Peyre M, Delgadillo D, Douzane H, Genet D, Aidaoui B, Hoang-Xuan K, Gyan E. Management and outcome of primary CNS lymphoma in the modern era: An LOC network study. Neurology. 2020 Mar 10;94(10):e1027-e1039. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000008900. Epub 2020 Jan 6.
• Background Schorb E, Fox CP, Kasenda B, Linton K, Martinez-Calle N, Calimeri T, Ninkovic S, Eyre TA, Cummin T, Smith J, Yallop D, De Marco B, Krampera M, Trefz S, Orsucci L, Fabbri A, Illerhaus G, Cwynarski K, Ferreri AJM. Induction therapy with the MATRix regimen in patients with newly diagnosed primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the central nervous system - an international study of feasibility and efficacy in routine clinical practice. Br J Haematol. 2020 Jun;189(5):879-887. doi: 10.1111/bjh.16451. Epub 2020 Jan 29.
• Background Olivier G, Clavert A, Lacotte-Thierry L, Gardembas M, Escoffre-Barbe M, Brion A, Cumin I, Legouffe E, Solal-Celigny P, Chabin M, Ingrand P, Colombat P, Delwail V. A phase 1 dose escalation study of idarubicin combined with methotrexate, vindesine, and prednisolone for untreated elderly patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma. The GOELAMS LCP 99 trial. Am J Hematol. 2014 Nov;89(11):1024-9. doi: 10.1002/ajh.23812. Epub 2014 Aug 27.
• Background Ferreri AJ, Cwynarski K, Pulczynski E, Ponzoni M, Deckert M, Politi LS, Torri V, Fox CP, Rosee PL, Schorb E, Ambrosetti A, Roth A, Hemmaway C, Ferrari A, Linton KM, Ruda R, Binder M, Pukrop T, Balzarotti M, Fabbri A, Johnson P, Gorlov JS, Hess G, Panse J, Pisani F, Tucci A, Stilgenbauer S, Hertenstein B, Keller U, Krause SW, Levis A, Schmoll HJ, Cavalli F, Finke J, Reni M, Zucca E, Illerhaus G; International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group (IELSG). Chemoimmunotherapy with methotrexate, cytarabine, thiotepa, and rituximab (MATRix regimen) in patients with primary CNS lymphoma: results of the first randomisation of the International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group-32 (IELSG32) phase 2 trial. Lancet Haematol. 2016 May;3(5):e217-27. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(16)00036-3. Epub 2016 Apr 6.
• Background Ferreri AJM, Cwynarski K, Pulczynski E, Fox CP, Schorb E, La Rosee P, Binder M, Fabbri A, Torri V, Minacapelli E, Falautano M, Ilariucci F, Ambrosetti A, Roth A, Hemmaway C, Johnson P, Linton KM, Pukrop T, Sonderskov Gorlov J, Balzarotti M, Hess G, Keller U, Stilgenbauer S, Panse J, Tucci A, Orsucci L, Pisani F, Levis A, Krause SW, Schmoll HJ, Hertenstein B, Rummel M, Smith J, Pfreundschuh M, Cabras G, Angrilli F, Ponzoni M, Deckert M, Politi LS, Finke J, Reni M, Cavalli F, Zucca E, Illerhaus G; International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group (IELSG). Whole-brain radiotherapy or autologous stem-cell transplantation as consolidation strategies after high-dose methotrexate-based chemoimmunotherapy in patients with primary CNS lymphoma: results of the second randomisation of the International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group-32 phase 2 trial. Lancet Haematol. 2017 Nov;4(11):e510-e523. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(17)30174-6. Epub 2017 Oct 17.
• Background Fritsch K, Kasenda B, Schorb E, Hau P, Bloehdorn J, Mohle R, Low S, Binder M, Atta J, Keller U, Wolf HH, Krause SW, Hess G, Naumann R, Sasse S, Hirt C, Lamprecht M, Martens U, Morgner A, Panse J, Frickhofen N, Roth A, Hader C, Deckert M, Fricker H, Ihorst G, Finke J, Illerhaus G. High-dose methotrexate-based immuno-chemotherapy for elderly primary CNS lymphoma patients (PRIMAIN study). Leukemia. 2017 Apr;31(4):846-852. doi: 10.1038/leu.2016.334. Epub 2016 Nov 15.
• Background Schorb E, Kasenda B, Ihorst G, Scherer F, Wendler J, Isbell L, Fricker H, Finke J, Illerhaus G. High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant in elderly patients with primary CNS lymphoma: a pilot study. Blood Adv. 2020 Jul 28;4(14):3378-3381. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020002064.
• Background Schorb E, Finke J, Ihorst G, Kasenda B, Fricker H, Illerhaus G. Age-adjusted high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant in elderly and fit primary CNS lymphoma patients. BMC Cancer. 2019 Mar 29;19(1):287. doi: 10.1186/s12885-019-5473-z.
• Background Omuro A, Chinot O, Taillandier L, Ghesquieres H, Soussain C, Delwail V, Lamy T, Gressin R, Choquet S, Soubeyran P, Huchet A, Benouaich-Amiel A, Lebouvier-Sadot S, Gyan E, Touitou V, Barrie M, del Rio MS, Gonzalez-Aguilar A, Houillier C, Delgadillo D, Lacomblez L, Tanguy ML, Hoang-Xuan K. Methotrexate and temozolomide versus methotrexate, procarbazine, vincristine, and cytarabine for primary CNS lymphoma in an elderly population: an intergroup ANOCEF-GOELAMS randomised phase 2 trial. Lancet Haematol. 2015 Jun;2(6):e251-9. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(15)00074-5. Epub 2015 Jun 3.
• Background Wendler J, Fox CP, Valk E, Steinheber C, Fricker H, Isbell LK, Neumaier S, Okosun J, Scherer F, Ihorst G, Cwynarski K, Schorb E, Illerhaus G. Optimizing MATRix as remission induction in PCNSL: de-escalated induction treatment in newly diagnosed primary CNS lymphoma. BMC Cancer. 2022 Sep 10;22(1):971. doi: 10.1186/s12885-022-09723-w.
• Background Farhi J, Laribi K, Orvain C, Hamel JF, Mercier M, Sutra Del Galy A, Clavert A, Rousselet MC, Tanguy-Schmidt A, Hunault-Berger M, Moles-Moreau MP. Impact of front line relative dose intensity for methotrexate and comorbidities in immunocompetent elderly patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma. Ann Hematol. 2018 Dec;97(12):2391-2401. doi: 10.1007/s00277-018-3468-5. Epub 2018 Aug 8.
• Background Martinez-Calle N, Isbell LK, Cwynarski K, Schorb E. Advances in treatment of elderly primary central nervous system lymphoma. Br J Haematol. 2022 Feb;196(3):473-487. doi: 10.1111/bjh.17799. Epub 2021 Aug 26.
• Background Schorb E, Isbell LK, Illerhaus G, Ihorst G, Meerpohl JJ, Grummich K, Nagavci B, Schmucker C. Treatment Regimens for Immunocompetent Elderly Patients with Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: A Scoping Review. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Aug 24;13(17):4268. doi: 10.3390/cancers13174268.

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Indications