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Summary: Clinical data on primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma (PCNSL) patients is mostly generated from prospective studies, and many frail real‐world patients are not included. Recently,the diagnosis and treatment of PCNSL patients was confounded by the COVID‐19 pandemic. In particular, treatment with high‐dose cytarabine was linked to increased risk of pneumonia and virus persistence. We report on outcome of the induction regimen R‐MIV (rituximab, methotrexate, ifosfamide, and vincristine) involving intensive administration of high‐dose methotrexate (3.5 g/m2) with ifosfamide, every 2 weeks and rituximab once per week for six doses. The median age and performance status (PS) for 64 patients was 58 years and 2 (PS 3; 22%) respectively. The overall response rate by magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography (MRI/CT) was 73% (n = 46/63), with an additional 17.5% (n = 11/63) patients without measurable disease at baseline. Grade 3–4 haematological toxicity was low for R‐MIV (neutropenia: 25% and thrombocytopenia: 1%). Three patients (4.7%) died from treatment‐related toxicity. Co‐existence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection with cytomegalovirus reactivation and the varicella‐zoster virus in two patients was fatal. Fifty patients (78%) were eligible for consolidation. Median progression‐free and overall survival were not reached (median follow‐up: 44 months). In conclusion, the R‐MIV regimen is feasible in routine practice, effective and safe, even during the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IELSG37 (NCT01599559) randomized trial was planned with a non-inferiority design to test whether RT can be omitted in PMBCL patients who achieve a complete metabolic response (CMR) after immunochemotherapy. Mediastinal radiotherapy (RT) may consolidate responses to dose-intensive immunochemotherapy; however, it increases the risk of second malignancies and coronary or valvular heart disease. B Introduction: b Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) has a poor prognosis if remission is not rapidly achieved, or the disease recurs. [Extracted from the article]

B Conclusion: b HDC-ASCT based on conditioning regimen consisted of carmustine, etoposide and thiotepa (BET) is a relatively safe and highly effective treatment for PCNSL patients. B Introduction: b High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation (HDC-ASCT) is now the preferred consolidation strategy for young PCNSL patients. At the end of induction 29 (64.5%) patients obtained CR/CRun (19/10 respectively), with additional 5 (11%) patients with no evidence of disease at baseline, and 11 (24.5%) in PR, based on standard CT/MRI assessment. [Extracted from the article]

HGBCL-DH- I BCL6 i is a rare and aggressive B-cell lymphoma, often without the IHC-protein MYC deletion, with advanced disease presenting at diagnosis. Only 15 patients received immunochemotherapy: 8 were treated with R-CHOP and CNS prophylaxis, other 7 patients had more intensive therapy: GMALL, CODOX/IVAC or DAEPOCH-R. Six patients had consolidative auto-SCT. According to the International Consensus Classification of Lymphomas (Blood 2022: 140: 1229-53), a new provisional I entity i high grade B cell lymphoma with I MYC i and I BCL 6 rearrangements i (HGBCL-DH- I BCL6 i ) was introduced. [Extracted from the article]

Infections occurred in 18% ( I n i = 20) of pts during 2 BGD, 24% ( I n i = 27) if treatment was extended, majority of them were GRADE <3. B Introduction: b BURGUND is a phase II study evaluating the combination of bendamustine, gemcitabine and dexamethasone (BGD) as the first salvage therapy in patients with refractory or relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r HL). Pts received 1 ( I n i = 3), 2 ( I n i = 58), 3 ( I n i = 28), or 4 ( I n i = 23) cycles of BGD. [Extracted from the article]