Therapeutic results of 248 patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma reported in the SFNC series between 1980 and 1995 were analyzed. Clinical, biological and radiological prognostic factors were found to have a favorable impact on survival: a) age < 60 years; b) radiation therapy but without evidence of a dose-response relationship; c) radiation therapy in addition to chemotherapy; d) the use of systemic chemotherapy consisting of anthracyclines. In multivariate analysis, we identified 4 independent factors: a) radiotherapy (RR = 3), b) age (RR = 2.31), c) the use of chemotherapy consisting of anthracyclines (RR = 2.53), d) partial surgical resection but as an unfavourable prognostic factor (RR = 1.45).