Long-Term Survival with Ibrutinib Therapy in Elderly Patients with Newly Diagnosed Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) carries a dismal prognosis in elderly patients above 70 years of age with a median overall survival of 6 months. Novel therapeutic agents are urgently needed to improve survival outcomes in this age group. We describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and treatment outcome in two 80-year-old patients diagnosed with PCNSL who were treated with ibrutinib therapy. Both patients remain in complete remission following treatment with ibrutinib therapy. One patient is currently 4 years and the other is 2 years and 9 months from the time of initial diagnosis. We suggest that ibrutinib therapy has significant therapeutic activity against PCNSL in the newly diagnosed setting and should be evaluated in a clinical trial as part of front-line therapy, especially in elderly patients.