Clinical characteristics and prognosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma in China: a single-center retrospective analysis of 325 patients

Large-scale studies characterizing the clinicopathological features of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) in China remain limited. This study analyzed 325 PCNSL cases between January 2016 and June 2022, aiming to characterize the features and identify prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in this population. This cohort demonstrated male predominance with median age of 58 years. Neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid evaluation revealed prevalence of multifocal intracranial involvement and leptomeningeal infiltration. With a median follow-up of 29.5 months (range 2.6-137.7), the median OS and PFS for the entire cohort were 63.1 months (95%CI, 52.1-74.1) and 14.7 months (95%CI, 11.1-18.3), respectively. Multivariable analysis identified three independent predictors of inferior overall survival: age ≥ 60, pre-biopsy corticosteroid, and lymphocyte count < 0.875 × 10⁹/L. ECOG PS ≥ 2 and Bcl-2 positivity predicted reduced PFS. This study highlights characteristics of Chinese PCNSL patients, providing population-specific data to optimize risk stratification and therapies.