Radiation Therapy and High-Dose Corticosteroids in Treating Older Patients With Primary CNS Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2003-06-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining radiation therapy with a corticosteroid, such as dexamethasone, may be an effective treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of radiation therapy and high-dose dexamethasone in treating older patients with primary CNS non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
• Collaborator: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Treatments: BB 1101; Dexamethasone; Dexamethasone 21-phosphate; Dexamethasone acetate

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Pathologically confirmed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with intracranial lesions

• Intraocular lymphoma eligible, if not sole site of disease

• No occult systemic lymphoma

• Measurable or evaluable disease by CT scan or MRI

• No neoplastic meningitis or gross spinal cord involvement

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 70 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-3

Other:

• No prior history of lymphoma

• No other active malignancy except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

• HIV negative

• No active peptic ulcer disease

• No uncontrolled diabetes mellitus

• No active pancreatitis

• No active bleeding

• No poorly controlled major psychiatric illness

• No serious uncontrolled infection

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No prior bone marrow transplantation

Chemotherapy:

• No prior chemotherapy

Radiotherapy:

• No prior radiotherapy to the brain or head and neck region

Surgery:

• No prior transplantations (renal, hepatic, or cardiac)