Gamma surgery for melanoma metastases in the brain

2002 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 544-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Mingione ◽  
Marcelo Oliveira ◽  
Dheerendra Prasad ◽  
Melita Steiner ◽  
Ladislau Steiner
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Survival Time ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Brain Lesion ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Melanoma Metastases ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and limitations of gamma surgery (GS) in the treatment of brain metastases from melanoma. Methods. Imaging and clinical outcomes in 45 patients treated for 92 brain metastases from melanoma between October 1989 and October 1999 were retrospectively analyzed. Follow-up imaging studies were available in 35 patients with 66 treated lesions. Twenty-four percent of the lesions disappeared, 35% shrank, 23% remained unchanged, and 18% increased in size. No undue radiation-induced changes were observed in the surrounding brain. Clinical data were available in all patients. No deaths or neurological morbidity related to GS was observed. The median survival time, calculated using the Kaplan—Meier method, was 10.4 months from the time of GS. In both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, a single brain lesion and lack of visceral metastases were statistically predictive of a better prognosis. Six of eight patients with solitary metastasis (that is, a single brain metastasis with no primary visceral tumor) were still alive at the close of the study, none of them with disease progression, with a follow-up period ranging between 14 and 82 months. Sixteen patients in this series received adjunctive whole-brain radiation therapy, which had no impact on their survival time or local and distant control of the brain disease. Conclusions. Gamma surgery is effective in treating melanoma metastases in the brain. It appears that the radiobiology of a single high dose overcomes the radioresistance barrier, yielding better results than fractionated radiation.

Surgical treatment of brain metastases from melanoma: a retrospective study of 91 patients

2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Wroński ◽  
Ehud Arbit
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Treatment ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Brain Lesion ◽  
Primary Melanoma ◽  
Median Length ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cox Regression Analysis ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Single Lesion ◽  
Fine Print

Object. Reports on the surgical treatment of brain metastases from melanoma in a large group of patients are sparse. The goal of this paper is to review the surgical experience in a series of 91 patients with brain metastases from primary melanoma treated at a single institution.Methods. Seven hundred eighty patients underwent resection of brain metastases at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1974 and 1994. The records of 91 (11.7%) of these patients who had melanoma were retrospectively reviewed. The median time from diagnosis of the primary melanoma to diagnosis of the brain lesion was 14.1 months. The overall median length of survival following craniotomy was 6.7 months. Fifteen patients with resected multiple metastases had shorter median survival times than 76 patients with a single lesion (5.4 months compared with 7.8 months, p = 0.12). In eight patients with cerebellar metastases the median length of survival was significantly shorter than that found in patients with supratentorial lesions (2 compared with 7 months, p = 0.03). There was no difference in length of survival between 49 patients who underwent postoperative whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) and 29 patients who did not (9.5 compared with 8.3 months, p = 0.67). The incidence of brain metastasis recurrences in WBRT-treated and untreated patients was similar (56% and 45.7%, respectively). Only the presence of infratentorial metastases (p = 0.0013) and unresected recurrence of brain metastases (p = 0.0003) had an impact on outcome according to a Cox regression analysis. Five patients (5.5%) died within 31 days of surgery. Overall survival rates at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years were 36.3, 18.7, 13.2, and 6.6%, respectively.Conclusions. Although melanoma metastatic to the brain carries a foreboding prognosis, patients who do not display preoperative neurological deficits, harbor a single lesion situated supratentorially, and have no lung or visceral metastases may derive significant palliative benefit from surgical resection of brain metastases.

Radiosurgery for patients with recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastatic to the brain: outcomes and prognostic factors

2005 ◽  
Vol 102 (Special_Supplement) ◽  
pp. 247-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Sheehan ◽  
Douglas Kondziolka ◽  
John Flickinger ◽  
L. Dade Lunsford
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Small Cell ◽  
Small Cell Lung ◽  
Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

Object. Lung carcinoma is the leading cause of death from cancer. More than 50% of those with small cell lung cancer develop a brain metastasis. Corticosteroid agents, radiotherapy, and resection have been the mainstays of treatment. Nonetheless, median survival for patients with small cell lung carcinoma metastasis is approximately 4 to 5 months after cranial irradiation. In this study the authors examine the efficacy of gamma knife surgery for treating recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastases to the brain following tumor growth in patients who have previously undergone radiation therapy, and they evaluate factors affecting survival. Methods. A retrospective review of 27 patients (47 recurrent small cell lung cancer brain metastases) undergoing radiosurgery was performed. Clinical and radiographic data obtained during a 14-year treatment period were collected. Multivariate analysis was utilized to determine significant prognostic factors influencing survival. The overall median survival was 18 months after the diagnosis of brain metastases. In multivariate analysis, factors significantly affecting survival included: 1) tumor volume (p = 0.0042); 2) preoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale score (p = 0.0035); and 3) time between initial lung cancer diagnosis and development of brain metastasis (p = 0.0127). Postradiosurgical imaging of the brain metastases revealed that 62% decreased, 19% remained stable, and 19% eventually increased in size. One patient later underwent a craniotomy and tumor resection for a tumor refractory to radiosurgery and radiation therapy. In three patients new brain metastases were demonstrating on follow-up imaging. Conclusions. Stereotactic radiosurgery for recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastases provided effective local tumor control in the majority of patients. Early detection of brain metastases, aggressive treatment of systemic disease, and a therapeutic strategy including radiosurgery can extend survival.

Primary diffuse leptomeningeal oligodendroglioma

1995 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 724-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Chen ◽  
David R. Macdonald ◽  
David A. Ramsay
Keyword(s):  
High Dose Chemotherapy ◽  
Postmortem Examination ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Imaging Studies ◽  
Neoplastic Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Suprasellar Cistern ◽  
Brain And Spinal Cord ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The authors describe a case of a diffuse primary leptomeningeal oligodendroglioma in a 17-year-old girl who presented with raised intracranial pressure and hydrocephalus. She underwent imaging studies and a left frontotemporal craniotomy that revealed a cystic oligodendroglioma in the suprasellar cistern and spread of neoplastic cells to the spinal leptomeninges. The tumor showed little response to maximum radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and the patient died from complications of high-dose chemotherapy 2 years after diagnosis. Postmortem examination of the brain and spinal cord revealed diffuse meningeal infiltration by neoplastic cells and no evidence of an intraparenchymal origin. Glial heterotopias were noted at several sites along the brain base, adding circumstantial support to the theory that leptomeningeal gliomas are derived from ectopic glial tissue in the subarachnoid space.

The long-term results of gamma knife radiosurgery for hemangioblastomas of the brain

2005 ◽  
Vol 102 ◽  
pp. 225-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
En-Min Wang ◽  
Li Pan ◽  
Bing-Jiang Wang ◽  
Nan Zhang ◽  
Liang-Fu Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Tumor Control ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Prescription Dose ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Vhl Disease ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The authors assessed the long-term result of gamma knife surgery (GKS) for hemangioblastomas of the brain (HABs) and show histopathological findings after GKS. Methods. Thirty-five patients, 28 men and seven women, with a mean age of 36 years underwent GKS. Eighteen patients presented with multiple tumors and 17 with a solitary tumor. Twenty-one patients had von Hippel—Lindau (VHL) disease. The mean tumor diameter was 13 mm (range 5–55 mm). The mean follow up after GKS was 66 months (range 24–114 months). The mean prescription dose was 17.2 Gy (range 12–24 Gy) at the tumor margin. For tumors close to or within the brainstem a prescription dose of 12 to 13 Gy was used. At the most recent follow up, 29 patients were alive, six were dead, and satisfactory tumor control had been achieved in 29. A stable or improved neurological status was obtained in 21 patients. Eight patients underwent open surgery because of tumor-associated cyst enlargement or the development of new tumors after GKS. Seven patients developed new tumors and five of them required a second GKS. The 1-year tumor control rate was 94%; 2 years, 85%; 3 years, 82%; 4 years, 79%; and 5 years, 71%. Histopathology showed that no tumor cells were found and there was degeneration and necrosis in a tumor nodule 48 months after GKS with a prescription dose of 18 Gy. Conclusions. Gamma knife surgery was a useful choice for small- or medium-sized, solid HAB in the long term, especially when the tumor margin dose was 18 Gy. Although GKS can treat multiple tumors in a single session, for HABs associated with VHL disease, GKS faces the dual problems of tumor recurrence or development of a new tumor.

Medulloblastoma: freedom from relapse longer than 8 years — a therapeutic cure?

1991 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 575-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark G. Belza ◽  
Sarah S. Donaldson ◽  
Gary K. Steinberg ◽  
Richard S. Cox ◽  
Philip H. Cogen
Keyword(s):  
Medical Center ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Adjunctive Treatment ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Long Term Follow Up ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Seventy-seven patients presenting with medulloblastoma between 1958 and 1986 were treated at Stanford University Medical Center and studied retrospectively. Multimodality therapy utilized surgical extirpation followed by megavoltage irradiation. In 15 cases chemotherapy was used as adjunctive treatment. The 10- and 15-year actuarial survival rates were both 41% with an 18-year maximum follow-up period (median 4.75 years). There were no treatment failures after 8 years of tumor-free survival. Gross total removal of tumor was achieved in 22 patients (32%); the surgical mortality rate was 3.9%. No significant difference was noted in the incidence of metastatic disease between shunted and nonshunted patients. The classical form of medulloblastoma was present in 67% of cases while the desmoplastic subtype was found in 16%. Survival rates were best for patients presenting after 1970, for those with desmoplastic tumors, and for patients receiving high-dose irradiation (≥ 5000 cGy) to the posterior fossa. Although early data on freedom from relapse suggested a possible beneficial effect from chemotherapy, long-term follow-up results showed no advantage from this modality of treatment. The patterns of relapse and survival were examined; 64% of relapses occurred within the central nervous system, and Collins' rule was applicable in 83% of cases beyond the period of risk. Although patients treated for recurrent disease could be palliated, none were long-term survivors. The study data indicate that freedom from relapse beyond 8 years from diagnosis can be considered as a cure in this disease. Long-term follow-up monitoring is essential to determine efficacy of treatment and to assess survival patterns accurately.

Arteriovenous malformations of the brain

1972 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 562-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. C. Forster ◽  
Ladislau Steiner ◽  
Sten Håkanson
Keyword(s):  
Arteriovenous Malformations ◽  
Indications For Surgery ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The quality of survival of 150 patients with arteriovenous malformations of the brain is presented. The mean period of follow-up was over 15 years. The surgically operated and conservatively managed groups are compared, a comparison that in the long run appears to favor the operated cases. The results are discussed and indications for surgery summarized.

Asymmetry of pressure autoregulation after traumatic brain injury

2003 ◽  
Vol 99 (6) ◽  
pp. 991-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric A. Schmidt ◽  
Marek Czosnyka ◽  
Luzius A. Steiner ◽  
Marcella Balestreri ◽  
Piotr Smielewski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Head Injuries ◽  
Cerebral Arteries ◽  
Brain Lesion ◽  
Fatal Outcome ◽  
Midline Shift ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arterial Blood ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The aim of this study was to assess the asymmetry of autoregulation between the left and right sides of the brain by using bilateral transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in a cohort of patients with head injuries. Methods. Ninety-six patients with head injuries comprised the study population. All significant intracranial mass lesions were promptly removed. The patients were given medications to induce sedation and paralysis, and artificial ventilation. Arterial blood pressure (ABP) and intracranial pressure (ICP) were monitored in an invasive manner. A strategy based on the patient's cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP = ABP − ICP) was applied: CPP was maintained at a level higher than 70 mm Hg and ICP at a level lower than 25 mm Hg. The left and right middle cerebral arteries were insonated daily, and bilateral flow velocities (FVs) were recorded. The correlation coefficient between the CPP and FV, termed Mx, was calculated and time-averaged over each recording period on both sides. An Mx close to 1 signified that slow fluctuations in CPP produced synchronized slow changes in FV, indicating a defective autoregulation. An Mx close to 0 indicated preserved autoregulation. Computerized tomography scans in all patients were reviewed; the side on which the major brain lesion was located was noted and the extent of the midline shift was determined. Outcome was measured 6 months after discharge. The left—right difference in the Mx between the hemispheres was significantly higher in patients who died than in those who survived (0.16 ± 0.04 compared with 0.08 ± 0.01; p = 0.04). The left—right difference in the Mx was correlated with a midline shift (r = −0.42; p = 0.03). Autoregulation was worse on the side of the brain where the lesion was located (p < 0.035). Conclusions. The left—right difference in autoregulation is significantly associated with a fatal outcome. Autoregulation in the brain is worse on the side ipsilateral to the lesion and on the side of expansion in cases in which there is a midline shift.

Response to high-dose interleukin-2 (HD IL-2) therapy in patients with brain metastases from metastatic melanoma

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e20007-e20007
Author(s):  
S. F. Powell ◽  
A. Z. Dudek
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Events ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Metastatic Melanoma ◽  
Brain Lesion ◽  
Interleukin 2 ◽  
Stage Iv ◽  
Published Data ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Mixed Response ◽  
The Brain

e20007 Background: HD IL-2 has been shown to produce durable responses in patients with metastatic melanoma. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the University of Minnesota's outcomes were comparable to previously published data and to analyze subsets of patients to find further data on prognosis and response. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed all adult patients with Stage IV melanoma treated with HD IL-2 from January 2000 to October 2008 at our institution. HD IL-2 was given I.V. every eight hours as a bolus over 15 minutes at a dose of 600,000 IU/kg. A maximum of 14 doses for each course was given. Results: A total of 15 patients with metastatic melanoma had been treated with HD IL-2 at our institution. Complete response (CR) was seen in 6.67% (N=1), partial response (PR) in 6.67% (N=1), mixed response (MR) in 6.67% (N=1), and stable disease (SD) in 13.33% (N=2). Average time to disease progression (TTDP) was 5.67 months in those with a PR or SD. Two patients with brain metastases had subsequently complete resolution of the brain lesions after HD IL-2 therapy. One of these patients has a CR and is disease free 34 months out from therapy. The other had PR and is currently alive with disease, but has no recurrence of the brain lesion after over 19 months. Twelve of the fifteen patients were able to receive 2 courses of therapy. On average patients tolerated 10.5 HD IL-2 doses with the first course and 8.8 doses with the second course. Common grade (G) 3 and 4 adverse events included hyperbilirubinemia (G 3 = 26.67%), hypotension (G 3 = 6.67%, G 4 = 6.67%), peripheral edema (G 3 = 26.67%), pulmonary edema (G 3 = 13.33%), and hypophosphatemia (G 3 = 6.67%, G 4 = 6.67%). Conclusions: The CR rate of 6.67% and TTDP in those with SD or a PR are comparable to previously published studies. Observed adverse events were also similar to other reports. HD IL-2 has typically been avoided in patients with brain metastases due to concern for neurologic complications from the capillary leak syndrome caused by treatment. We propose further evaluation of this ineligibility for HD IL-2, since carefully selected patients with brain metastases may derive benefit from this treatment. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Radiosurgery for patients with recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastatic to the brain: outcomes and prognostic factors

2005 ◽  
Vol 102 ◽  
pp. 247-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Sheehan ◽  
Douglas Kondziolka ◽  
John Flickinger ◽  
L. Dade Lunsford
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Small Cell ◽  
Small Cell Lung ◽  
Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

Object.Lung carcinoma is the leading cause of death from cancer. More than 50% of those with small cell lung cancer develop a brain metastasis. Corticosteroid agents, radiotherapy, and resection have been the mainstays of treatment. Nonetheless, median survival for patients with small cell lung carcinoma metastasis is approximately 4 to 5 months after cranial irradiation. In this study the authors examine the efficacy of gamma knife surgery for treating recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastases to the brain following tumor growth in patients who have previously undergone radiation therapy, and they evaluate factors affecting survival.Methods.A retrospective review of 27 patients (47 recurrent small cell lung cancer brain metastases) undergoing radiosurgery was performed. Clinical and radiographic data obtained during a 14-year treatment period were collected. Multivariate analysis was utilized to determine significant prognostic factors influencing survival.The overall median survival was 18 months after the diagnosis of brain metastases. In multivariate analysis, factors significantly affecting survival included: 1) tumor volume (p = 0.0042); 2) preoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale score (p = 0.0035); and 3) time between initial lung cancer diagnosis and development of brain metastasis (p = 0.0127). Postradiosurgical imaging of the brain metastases revealed that 62% decreased, 19% remained stable, and 19% eventually increased in size. One patient later underwent a craniotomy and tumor resection for a tumor refractory to radiosurgery and radiation therapy. In three patients new brain metastases were demonstrating on follow-up imaging.Conclusions.Stereotactic radiosurgery for recurrent small cell lung carcinoma metastases provided effective local tumor control in the majority of patients. Early detection of brain metastases, aggressive treatment of systemic disease, and a therapeutic strategy including radiosurgery can extend survival.

Risk factors affecting survival after brain metastases from non—small cell lung carcinoma: a follow-up study of 70 patients

2001 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 595-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Abrahams ◽  
Maria Torchia ◽  
Mary Putt ◽  
Larry R. Kaiser ◽  
Kevin D. Judy
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Survival Time ◽  
Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Median Survival Time ◽  
Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Small Cell ◽  
Small Cell Lung ◽  
Cell Lung Carcinoma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The authors present their experience with the treatment of brain metastases from non—small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Methods. A retrospective review was conducted in which records from 74 patients treated at the authors' institution between 1994 and 1999 were assessed. Survival and functional outcome were reviewed relative to individual patient variables. The median survival time was 12.9 months, with 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival milestones reached by 52.2%, 30.7%, and 18.1% of patients, respectively. Patients were stratified into groups composed of those with synchronous brain metastases (tumors diagnosed within 3 months of NSCLC) and metachronous brain metastases (tumors diagnosed 3 months after NSCLC). The median survival time and 5-year survival rate were 18 months and 28.9% for metachronous, compared with 9.9 months and 0% for synchronous brain metastases. In univariate analyses, the stage of brain metastases, an initial Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score of 90 or less, and conservative therapy for NSCLC were associated with worse outcomes (p < 0.05). In analyses in which tumors were stratified by synchronous compared with metachronous brain metastases, a preoperative KPS score of 90 or less and radiation therapy (RT) alone for brain metastases were associated with worse outcomes in patients with metachronous brain metastases but not with synchronous tumors (p < 0.05). When stratified by preoperative KPS score, the synchronous brain metastases stage or treatment of brain metastases with RT alone were associated with worse outcome in patients with KPS scores of 100, but had no discernible effect on patients with KPS scores of 90 or less (p < 0.05). Conclusions. The tumor stage and preoperative KPS score were significantly associated with survival. Craniotomy plus RT significantly improved the prognosis in patients with metachronous brain metastases or those with a preoperative KPS score of 100.

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