Is it time to revisit R-CHOP for primary CNS lymphoma?

Abstract

In this issue of Blood, Ferreri et al report preliminary results from the INGRID trial regarding the feasibility and safety of using engineered tumor necrosis factor-α for increasing blood-brain barrier permeability in patients with relapsed or refractory primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma.1 The authors demonstrate that treatment with tumor necrosis factor coupled with NGR (NGR-hTNF), a drug that targets CD13 on tumor blood vessels, followed by rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) is safe, selectively increases permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the tumor regions, and is associated with radiographic responses.