# Age-related differences in primary central nervous system lymphomas based on the SEER database

## TL;DR

This study compares survival and treatment outcomes in younger and older patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma using a large database.

## Contribution

The study identifies age-related differences in treatment response and survival and introduces a predictive nomogram for a specific lymphoma subtype.

## Key findings

- Younger PCNSL patients had better survival and higher rates of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
- A nomogram for PCNS-DLBCL showed good accuracy in predicting overall survival in both age groups.
- Combined chemotherapy and surgery improved outcomes across all patients.

## Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare prognostic factors and survival outcomes in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was queried for patients diagnosed with PCNSL between 2000 and 2019.

Between 2000 and 2019, a total of 5,812 patients were diagnosed with PCNSL, of whom 2,175 (37%) were ≤ 60 years old and 3,637 (63%) were >60 years old. The younger patients had a higher rate of being diagnosed with stage I–II, a higher rate of receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy, a similar rate of receiving surgery, and a longer survival time. The most common histological subtype among PCNSL patients was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PCNS-DLBCL). Younger PCNS-DLBCL patients who received surgery and chemotherapy exhibited significantly improved overall survival (OS) and disease-specific mortality (DSM) and that African American patients were associated with poorer OS and DSM. Older patients receiving surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy exhibited significantly improved OS and DSM, male and higher Ann Arbor stage were associated with poorer OS and DSM. We created a nomogram for PCNS-DLBCL to predict OS, with a C-index of 0.6749 in the younger cohort and 0.6676 in the older cohort. In the combined therapy analysis, chemotherapy combined with surgical resection had better OS and DSM in all patients.

The two age-stratified cohorts significantly differed in terms of OS and independent influences on OS and DSM. Our constructed nomogram exhibited high accuracy in predicting OS in PCNS-DLBCL patients.