This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) eLetters: Submit a response to this article Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services E-mail this article link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints/Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pectasides, D. Articles by Economopoulos, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pectasides, D. Articles by Economopoulos, T.

Brain Metastases from Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Review of the Literature

Second Department of Internal Medicine, Propaeduetic, Oncology Section, University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, Haidari, Athens, Greece

Key Words. Brain metastases • Surgery • Stereotactic radiosurgery • Whole-brain radiotherapy • Chemotherapy

Correspondence: Dimitrios Pectasides, M.D., Second Department of Internal Medicine, Propaedeutic, Oncology Section, "Attikon" University Hospital, 1 Rimini St, Haidari, Athens, Greece. Telephone: 210-5831691, 210-6008610; Fax: 210-5831690, 210-6008610; e-mail: pectasid{at}otenet.gr

Background. Brain metastases from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) are rare. This report is based on a review of the literature.

Methods and Results. This review summarizes the incidence, clinical features, pathophysiology, and diagnostic evaluation of EOC. The section on current treatment includes a thorough evaluation of the literature, highlights controversies over treatment options, and provides insight into novel approaches. Current treatment options include surgical resection, whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT), stereotactic radiosurgery, and chemotherapy. Corticosteroids and anticonvulsant medications are commonly used for the palliation of mass effects and seizures, respectively. In the reviewed series, a better outcome was seen following surgical resection and WBRT with or without chemotherapy for solitary and resectable brain metastases.

Conclusion. The prognosis for patients with brain metastases from EOC is poor. A better outcome might be obtained using multimodality therapy. Because of the small number of patients included in the reported studies, multicenter clinical trials are needed for further investigation in order to critically evaluate the clear benefit of these treatment options in selected patients.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. PIETZNER, G. OSKAY-OEZCELIK, K. EL KHALFAOUI, D. BOEHMER, W. LICHTENEGGER, and J. SEHOULI Brain Metastases from Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Overview and Optimal Management Anticancer Res, July 1, 2009; 29(7): 2793 - 2798. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]