Chemotherapy and HAART to Treat AIDS-related Primary Brain Lymphoma

Summary

This study will investigate the use of chemotherapy plus highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)-related primary brain lymphoma. None of the drugs used in this study are experimental, but chemotherapy plus HAART has not been established as a standard treatment in patients with AIDS. The chemotherapy regimen used in this study (see below) was chosen because it may be less toxic to immune cells called T-lymphocytes than most drug treatments for lymphoma.

People with AIDS 18 and older and have primary brain lymphoma may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and physical examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans, cerebrospinal fluid studies, brain biopsy at tumor sites, if possible, electrocardiogram and blood tests.

Participants undergo six 2-week "induction treatment" cycles of HAART plus chemotherapy with methotrexate, rituximab and leucovorin, followed by two 4-week "consolidation" treatment cycles using HAART, methotrexate and leucovorin, and then HAART alone. Rituximab is given by intravenous (intravenous (IV), through a vein) day 1 of each cycle. Also on day 1 IV fluids are given to lower acidity in the urine to protect the kidneys from the methotrexate. On day 2, methotrexate is infused through a vein over 4 hours. Starting 24 hours after initiation of the methotrexate infusion, leucovorin is given every 3 to 6 hours (first IV and then possibly by mouth) until the drug decreases to a target level in the blood. HAART is begun as soon as possible. The specific HAART regimen for each patient is determined individually. All patients are hospitalized the first week of every 2-week treatment cycle for safety monitoring. In addition to HAART and chemotherapy, patients undergo the following tests and procedures:

* Intellectual functioning: Before starting treatment, patients are tested for their ability to understand basic concepts and coordination in order to be able to evaluate how the brain lymphoma affects thinking and concentration. After the lymphoma appears to have resolved, more formal and intensive tests are done. The intensive tests are repeated each year, and shorter, interim tests are done about every 6 months. Also, a specialist periodically monitors patients' understanding of HAART and the importance of this therapy.
* Blood tests: Blood is drawn every day during hospitalizations to measure methotrexate levels and to evaluate kidney and liver function and blood counts. Blood is also drawn before starting therapy, when the lymphoma disappears, 6 months after completing treatment, and any time it appears that the lymphoma may have recurred to test for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a virus that is almost always present in AIDS-related primary brain lymphoma.
* Imaging tests: Patients undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans periodically to monitor the effects of treatment on the lymphoma. MRI scans are done after the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th treatments, then every 2 months for three times, every 3 months for six times, every 6 months for four times, and then every year for 5 years, or sooner if there is a concern about the brain. PET scans are done after the first cycle, after the MRI suggests the lymphoma is gone, and then yearly.
* Lumbar puncture (spinal tap): This test is done to look for EBV in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Under local anesthetic, a needle is inserted in the space between the bones in the lower back where the CSF circulates below the spinal cord and a small amount of fluid is collected through the needle. This test is done at the same times as the blood tests for EBV.
* Eye examinations: Patients' eyes are examined periodically because brain lymphoma can sometimes spread to the eye and because some people with AIDS-related primary brain lymphoma are at risk of certain eye infections.

Conditions

• AIDS-Related-Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma

Interventions

DRUG

Methotrexate

6000 mg/m\^2 will be administered by intravenous infusion over 4 hours after confirming that the recipient patients urine pH is within the range greater than or equal to 7 to less than or equal to 8, and urine output is greater than or equal to 100 mL/hour.

DRUG

Rituximab

375 mg/m\^2 intravenous (IV) day 1 of each cycle prior to administration of high-dose methotrexate

DRUG

Leucovorin

Leucovorin calcium doses will be administered orally or by short intravenous (IV) infusion over 15 minutes

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  lead NIH

Principal Investigators

• Robert Yarchoan, M.D. · National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

99 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2006-09-14

Primary Completion

2019-09-18

Completion

2019-09-19

FDA Drug

Yes

Countries

• United States

Study Locations