Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a B-cell lymphoma confined to the CNS. In general, early initiation of treatment after diagnosis is considered to be associated with improved prognosis in patients with malignancy. However, the prognostic impact of the time from diagnostic brain biopsy to initiation of treatment in patients with PCNSL remains unclear. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed how time from diagnostic biopsy to rituximab-containing treatment correlated with prognosis in 19 patients with PCNSL. Patients with a better prognostic score defined by age and performance status at diagnosis tended to have a better prognosis if chemotherapy was initiated sooner after brain biopsy. In conclusion, earlier chemotherapy initiation after brain biopsy and definitive diagnosis should be considered in the treatment of PCNSL.
Keywords: Brain biopsy; Primary central nervous system lymphoma; Rituximab.