Prospective Neurobehavioral Outcomes Follow-up in Primary CNS Lymphoma Patients Treated With Cranial Radiotherapy Combined With or Without MTX-based Chemotherapy According to the Multidisciplinary Treatment Guidelines Implemented at a Single Institute

Background. Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is an uncommon disease. Conventional treatment has consisted of either whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) or methotrexate (MTX)-based combined modality therapy combining chemotherapy and cranial irradiation. The treatment principles at our institute have been quite consistent in the past, sticking to the treatment protocol reported by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in 1990s. No matter what the dosage of MTX is, it is well-established that the addition of chemotherapy to cranial RT significantly improved survival outcomes. However, it was found that delayed treatment-related cognitive sequelae emerged as a significant debilitating complication of combined modality treatment in patients with PCNSL, especially when effective treatment can achieve disease control and better survival rates. Furthermore, the specific contribution of the disease per se and various treatment modalities to cognitive impairment remains to be clarified because the neurotoxic potential of combined modality treatments is difficult to differentiate when each can result in cognitive dysfunctions respectively. Treatment-related neurotoxicity could be demonstrated by virtue of several meaningful indicators, including neurobehavioral assessments, neuroimaging outcomes, and even measures of quality-of-life (QoL). Methods. Therefore, this one-year individual research will be a prospective observational cohort study with a longitudinal assessment of neurobehavioral functions, neuroimaging, and quality of life for newly-diagnosed patients with primary CNS lymphoma at our institute. According to our cancer center, it is estimated that there would be around 25 cases of newly-diagnosed primary CNS lymphoma at our institute every year. By virtue of multidisciplinary management and teamwork consisting of neurosurgery, hematology, radiation oncology, neuroimaging expertise, and surgical pathology, investigators will attempt to recruit all poten