Rituximab, Temozolomide, and Methylprednisolone in Treating Patients With Recurrent Primary CNS Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed primary CNS non-Hodgkin's lymphoma by brain biopsy, positive cerebrospinal fluid cytology, or vitrectomy
• •* Recurrent disease
• •Measurable disease, define as bi-dimensionally measurable lesions with clearly defined margins by brain MRI or CT scan
• •* Radiographical evidence of tumor progression by MRI or CT scan
• •* Steroid therapy must be stable for 5 days prior to scan
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age
• •18 and over
• •Performance status
• •Karnofsky 60-100%
• •Life expectancy
• •More than 8 weeks
• •Hematopoietic
• •WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
• •Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
• •Hepatic
• •SGOT \< 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •Bilirubin \< 2 times ULN
• •No active or latent hepatitis B infection
• •Renal
• •Creatinine \< 1.5 mg/dL OR
• •Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• •Other
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No other malignancy within the past 3 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• •No uncontrolled significant medical illness that would preclude study treatment
• •No active infection
• •No active HIV infection
• •No concurrent disease that would dangerously alter drug metabolism or obscure toxicity
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy
• •At least 7 days since prior interferon or thalidomide
• •No concurrent prophylactic filgrastim (G-CSF)
• •No concurrent immunotherapy
• •Chemotherapy
• •No prior temozolomide
• •At least 14 days since prior methotrexate
• •At least 21 days since prior procarbazine
• •At least 42 days since prior nitrosoureas
• •No other concurrent chemotherapy
• •Endocrine therapy
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •At least 7 days since prior tamoxifen
• •No concurrent hormonal therapy
• •Radiotherapy
• •No concurrent radiotherapy
• •Surgery
• •Not specified
• •Other
• •Recovered from all prior therapy
• •At least 28 days since prior investigational agents
• •At least 28 days since other prior cytotoxic therapy
• •At least 7 days since other prior non-cytotoxic agents (e.g., tretinoin) (radiosenitizers allowed)
• •No other concurrent investigational drugs