AIDS-Related Primary CNS Lymphoma – NCI-06-C-0051
Dr. Robert Yarchoan
Principal Investigator
NCI’s Center for Cancer Research (CCR) is currently conducting the following trial for patients with Kaposi's sarcoma. Click on the trial below for additional details, including a summary of primary eligibility, study outline, and information on how to contact Dr. Yarchoan and his staff directly.
You may also call the Clinical Trials Referral Office at 1-888-NCI-1937 (1-888-624-1937) to inquire about referring a patient to this trial.
- Induction treatment cycles with HD-MTX and rituximab (HD-MTX-R) every 2 weeks for 6 cycles
- Two additional consolidation cycles of HD-MTX without rituximab at 4 weeks and 8 weeks following completion of the combined therapy
- MRI will be repeated at the end of cycles 2, 4, 6, and 8, and additionally as clinically indicated
- At the time of first evidence for complete tumor response by MRI criteria, FDG-PET scan and EBV DNA assessments of the blood and CSF will be repeated
- If no complete response by end of cycle 6, patients will be categorized as treatment failures and will not receive the 2 additional HD-MTX doses
- At end of treatment, restaging by MRI will be performed once every 2 months X 2; then once every 3 months X 4; then once every 6 months X 4
- After this period, clinical evaluations may continue and restaging performed if clinical suspicion of CNS pathology
- Additionally, FDG-PET scan will be repeated after cycle 8 and at 1 year
Why is this trial important?
AIDS-related primary brain lymphoma is a serious and life threatening complication of HIV infection. Few individuals with this cancer survive for one year. Radiation therapy to the brain is the treatment commonly administered. Radiation therapy can make the lymphoma go away. However, many patients have recurrence of the lymphoma after radiation therapy, or develop other AIDS complications that limit survival. With the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy, many individuals with AIDS-related primary brain lymphoma may be able to control the HIV infection long-term and go on to good health if the lymphoma can be cured. Many non-HIV-infected people treated with radiation therapy for brain lymphoma survive several years, but have severe brain problems related to the radiation treatment. Therefore, in non-HIV-infected people, chemotherapy has become the standard of care for treating this cancer. Survival with a healthy brain in such people is improved with this strategy. This clinical trial will assess whether chemotherapy will lead to several years or longer survival without brain problems in people with AIDS-related primary brain lymphoma.
Back to Top
