Chemotherapy in conjunction with blood brain barrier disruption in the treatment of primary central nervous system lymphoma

: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is sensitive to both chemotherapy and radiation, but the blood-brain barrier limits the usefulness of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents. On the other hand radiation therapy carries along serious long term adverse events. In BBBD-therapy the blood-brain barrier is opened with intra-arterial mannitol infusion thus permitting both the chemotherapeutics and antibodies to enter through blood-brain barrier. So far 17 patients have started the therapy in our clinics. Ten patients have reached a complete response and 8 of these responses are ongoing with follow-up times of 6-62 months.