Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: A Challenging Disease
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Research of Cancer".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 17
Special Issue Editor
Interests: neuro-oncology; primary central nervous system lymphoma; immune checkpoint inhibitors
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) presents several unique and significant challenges. PCNSL can mimic other neurological disorders, making radiologic differentiation challenging and leading to delays in diagnosis. Definitive diagnosis usually requires a brain biopsy, which is an invasive procedure that carries risks. Treatment-associated challenges include the limitation of the blood–brain barrier in delivering many chemotherapeutic agents to the central nervous system. High-dose methotrexate-based schedules are commonly used, but they have significant toxicity and related mortality. There is no universally accepted standard treatment protocol, and clinical practices vary, leading to inconsistencies in patient outcomes and making it difficult to compare results across studies. Upon the completion of MTX-based treatment, a consolidation strategy is often required to prolong the duration of response. While whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is effective, it is associated with substantial neurotoxicity, especially in older patients. PCNSL is more common in immunocompromised individuals, and treatment in these patients is more complex due to their underlying condition and increased risk of infections. Although it is a curable disease, the prognosis of patients with PCNSL can be poor, especially in older patients or those with poor performance status. PCNSL exhibits considerable molecular and genetic heterogeneity, which can influence the disease course and the observed variable response to treatment. PCNSL has a high rate of relapses, necessitating ongoing monitoring and often additional treatment, which can further compromise neurological function. The current salvage treatment strategies include oral small molecules or immunomodulatory drugs. However, due to its relative rarity, PCNSL has been less extensively studied than other types of lymphoma, resulting in fewer advances in treatment. Enrolling enough patients for meaningful clinical trials is challenging, slowing progress in developing new treatments. All these challenges highlight the need for continued research, improved diagnostic methods, and more effective and less toxic treatments for PCNSL. For this Special Issue, we encourage the submission of original research articles and reviews related to the latest findings on the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of PCNSL that can help the scientific community address these issues.
Dr. Roser Velasco
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL)
- diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
- advanced imaging
- novel therapies
- prognostic markers
