Treatment of Primary CNS Lymphoma

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Treatment of newly diagnosed primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma may include the following:

• Whole-brain radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy.
• Targeted therapy alone (rituximab, nivolumab, or ibrutinib).
• Targeted therapy (rituximab) and chemotherapy.
• High-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplant.
• A clinical trial of high-dose chemotherapy followed by whole-brain radiation therapy, stem cell transplant, and/or targeted therapy.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy with or without stem cell transplant.
• A clinical trial of targeted therapy (rituximab and ibrutinib) and chemotherapy.

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.