[Epithelial ovarian carcinoma metastatic to the brain: report on ten cases with review of literature].

Objective: To investigate the incidence, the diagnosis, the multimodal treatment and the relevant factors of the brain metastases in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC).

Method: The clinical data were analysed in 10 cases of brain metastases from 478 cases of EOC after treatment between 1996 - 2001.

Results: The incidence of brain metastases in EOC was 2.1%. The most common manifestation of the brain metastases was headache, nausea and limb paralysis. The most common metastatic sites were the cupular and occipital part of the cerebra. Seven of ten patients were treated with brain radiation and systemic chemotherapy, three abandoned. The brain irradiation dosage was 30 - 38 Gy for only one focus in the brain lasting for 4 weeks and 40 - 45 Gy for two or three foci in the brain lasting for 5 weeks. The overall survival after identification of brain metastases was < 1 - 33 months, the overall median survival was 6.3 months, but for those who abandoned treatment, the median survival was 1.4 months vs 8.3 months for those who completed the courses of therapy.

Conclusions: The diagnosis of brain metastasis was based on the clinical features and the imagings and the therapy was comprehensive and palliative. However, the number and size of the brain metastases and its reaction to radiation was significantly associated with the prognosis. Although the survival after the identification of brain metastases in EOC is poor, most patients can be palliated successfully by using a combination of radiation therapy and systemic chemotherapy.