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PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility and efficacy of intensive chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem-cell rescue (IC + HCR) in patients with refractory or recurrent primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) or intraocular lymphoma (IOL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: IC consisted of thiotepa 250 mg/m(2)/d days -9 through -7, busulfan 10 mg/kg (total dose) days -6 through -4, and cyclophosphamide 60 mg/kg/d days -3 and -2. Intravenous clonazepam 2 mg/d was given prophylactically from the day before initiation of busulfan therapy to the day after completion of busulfan therapy. Patients with refractory or recurrent PCNSL underwent IC + HCR only if they were chemosensitive to two cycles of salvage treatment with cytarabine (2 g/m(2)/d days 2 through 5 and 50 mg/m(2)/d days 1 through 5 in a 12-hour infusion) and etoposide (VP-16; 200 mg/m(2)/d days 2 through 5) (CYVE). Patients with IOL refractory to high-dose methotrexate (MTX) and cytarabine entered the IC + HCR program directly. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients (10 with relapses, 12 with refractory disease) were enrolled. Twenty patients entered the IC + HCR program: twelve entered after CYVE treatment, seven entered directly, and one had previously been retreated with high-dose MTX. Before IC, eight patients were in complete remission (CR), four were in partial remission (PR), one had stable disease, and seven had refractory disease. After IC + HCR, 16 patients entered CR, two remained in PR, one had stable disease, and one had disease progression. Fourteen patients remained alive (median follow-up time, 41.5 months). The overall probability of survival at 3 years was 63.7%. After IC, that probability was 60% and the 3-year probability of event-free survival was 53%. Seven patients had neurologic adverse events during the entire procedure. CONCLUSION: IC + HCR proved feasible and effective in patients with refractory or recurrent PCNSL or IOL. The entire procedure seemed to be most toxic in patients > or = 60 years. A prospective multicenter study is ongoing.
Soussain et al. (Thu,) studied this question.