Key clinical point: Prophylaxis with high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) was not associated with a clinically meaningful reduction in the risk for central nervous system (CNS) progression in high-risk patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma (BCL).
Major finding: Patients who did vs did not receive HD-MTX had a significantly lower risk for CNS progression (adjusted 5-year risk difference 1.6%; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.59; P = .014), but the significance was lost when considering only those who achieved a complete response at chemoimmunotherapy completion (adjusted 5-year risk difference 1.4%; aHR 0.74; P = .30).
Study details: This multicenter retrospective study included 2418 adults with aggressive BCL and a high risk for CNS progression treated with curative-intent anti-CD20-based chemoimmunotherapy who did or did not receive HD-MTX, of whom 1616 achieved a complete response.
Disclosures: This study was funded by Janssen Pharmaceuticals and others. All authors except TC El-Galaly declared serving as consultants, advisors, or speakers for or receiving honoraria, research funding, or travel support from various sources, including Janssen.
Source: Lewis KL et al on behalf of the International CNS Prophylaxis Study Group. High-dose methotrexate as CNS prophylaxis in high-risk aggressive B-cell lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 2023 (Oct 5). doi: 10.1200/JCO.23.00365