Brain Mets.

[Joe]

From March 2007 More Magazine



http://her2support.org/rb.pdf

[heblaj01]

Thanks a lot,Joe, for this post. It clarifies a number of points.
I think that even if the trial by Dr Rousseau on screening periodically for brain tumors fails to extend overall survival, her reasoning for the real benefits of that screening for those who develop these tumors overshadow the arguments of the skeptics.
It may, at this time, be true as stated in the article,that patients with brain tumors have also metastases in other parts of the body & that the disease is then incurable & that treating symptoms does not improve overall survival.
But patients with bone or liver metastases can be treated & have many years of acceptable quality of life.
That cannot be said of patients with brain tumours whose life may either be drastically shortened or reduced to a condition similar to a severe stroke.
So between abstaining from screening to avoid suffering anxiety & risking the suffering associated with the late discovery of symptomatic brain tumors, the choice should be clear.

[Kimberly Lewis]

This was very clear for me finally. After having 7 nodes positive - I am certain that MRI's are the way to go for me.

[gdpawel]

That was a very interesting article. It reminded me that in the last decade, the incidence of central nervous system metastasis has increased. Presentation of a brain metastasis is supposed to be more frequent in breast and lung cancer, but I found out that it is also increasing in ovarian cancers as well. Even carcinomatous meningitis (leptomeningeal carcinomatous) has been seen more frequently. Yes, periodic MRI's can be a way to go for monitoring future metastasis. The Pet Scan or PET/CT Scan can be even more beneficial.

CARCINOMATOUS MENIGITIS: TAXANE INDUCED?

Isolated Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis (Carcinomatous Meningitis) after Taxane-Induced Major Remission in Patients with Advanced Breast Cancer

Christos Kosmasa, Nikolaos A. Malamosa, Nikolas B. Tsavarisc, Melina Stamatakib, Achilleas Gregorioua, Sofia Rokanaa, Maria Vartholomeoua, Minas J. Antonopoulosa

aDepartment of Medicine, Medical Oncology Unit and bDepartment of Cytopathology, Helena-Venizelou Hospital and cDepartment of Pathophysiology, Medical Oncology Unit, Laikon General Hospital, Athens University School of Medicine, Athens, Greece

Abstract

Objectives: To identify the incidence of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC), as the first site of systemic progression, in breast cancer patients after having obtained a major response (CR or near CR) to first-line taxane-based chemotherapy and compare these findings in retrospect with a matched-pair group of historical control patients from our database treated with nontaxane regimens.

Patients and Methods: Patients with histologically proven breast cancer having either metastatic disease or high-risk locoregional disease that were entered into treatment protocols with first-line taxane (paclitaxel or docetaxel) plus anthracyclines or mitoxantrone combinations and developed LMC as the first evidence of progression after major response (CR or >80% PR) were analyzed in the present study (n = 155), and compared, as regards the incidence of LMC, to a matched-pair retrospective group of 155 patients treated with nontaxane regimens in our unit.

Results: Seven patients with a median age of 54 years (range 40-70) developed LMC as their first evidence of progression after taxane-based regimens with a median interval of 6 months (range 2-18) from start of treatment to diagnosis of LMC. Five patients received intrathecal (i.t.) methotrexate treatment and whole brain radiotherapy (RT), while 1 patient received i.t. methotrexate and RT to the lumbar spine.

Two patients responded to treatment for LMC, while 2 achieved stable disease and 3 progressed. Two patients had elevated cerebrospinal fluid tumor markers (more than serum marker levels) that proved useful in monitoring response to treatment. Median survival after LMC was 3.6 months (range 1-17+) and correlated positively to the interval from the initiation of taxane-based therapy to LMC (r = 0.84, p = 0.019).

Seven out of 86 responders (8.13%) in the taxane group versus 1 out of 72 responders (1.4%) in the non-taxane-treated group developed LMC as the first sign of progression after a major response to first-line chemotherapy (p < 0.1).

Conclusions: LMC after a major response to front-line taxane-based regimens represents a grave disease manifestation and its incidence appears increased, but not significantly so, when compared retrospectively to non-taxane-treated patients.

Prospective evaluation of the incidence of LMC after taxane versus non-taxane-based treatment from large randomized multi-institutional trials is warranted and identification of potential prognostic factors might help to identify patients requiring appropriate prophylactic therapy.

American Journal Clinical Oncology 2002;63:6-15

CNS relapses are common among breast cancer patients treated with a taxane-based chemotherapy regimen

Central Nervous System Relapse in Patients With Breast Cancer Is Associated With Advanced Stages, With CK-19 mRNA-positive Circulating Occult Tumor Cells and With HER2/neu-positive tumor

John Souglakos; Lambros Vamvakas; Stella Apostolaki; Maria Perraki; Zacharenia Saridaki; Irine Kazakou; Athanasios Pallis; Charalambos Kouroussis; Nikos Androulakis; Kostas Kalbakis; Georgia Millaki; Dimitris Mavroudis; Vassilis Georgoulias

Abstract

Introduction: To evaluate the incidence of central nervous system (CNS) involvement in patients with breast cancer treated with a taxane-based chemotherapy regimen and to determine predictive factors for CNS relapse.

Methods: The medical files of patients with early breast cancer (n = 253) or advanced stage breast cancer (n = 239) as well of those with other solid tumors (n = 336) treated with or without a taxane-based chemotherapy regimen during a 42-month period were reviewed. HER2/neu overexpression was identified by immunohistochemistry, whereas cytokeratin 19 (CK-19) mRNA-positive circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood were identified by real-time PCR.

Results: The incidence of CNS relapse was similar in patients suffering from breast cancer or other solid tumors (10.4% and 11.4%, respectively; P = 0.517). The incidence of CNS relapse was significantly higher in breast cancer patients with advanced disease (P = 0.041), visceral disease and bone disease (P = 0.036), in those who were treated with a taxane-containing regimen (P = 0.024), in those with HER2/neu-overexpressing tumors (P = 0.022) and, finally, in those with detectable CK-19 mRNA-positive CTCs (P = 0.008). Multivariate analysis revealed that the stage of disease (odds ratio, 0.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.007-0.23; P = 0.0001), the HER2/neu status (odds ratio, 29.4; 95% confidence interval, 7.51-101.21; P = 0.0001) and the presence of CK-19 mRNA-positive CTCs (odds ratio, 8.31; 95% confidence interval, 3.97-12.84; P = 0.001) were independent predictive factors for CNS relapse.

Conclusion: CNS relapses are common among breast cancer patients treated with a taxane-based chemotherapy regimen, patients with HER2/neu-positive tumor and patients with CK-19 mRNA-positive CTCs.

Breast Cancer Res. 2006;8(4) ©2006 BioMed Central, Ltd.