Changes in the management and outcome of central nervous system involvement from ovarian cancer since 1994.

Objective: To identify differences in the management and outcome of patients with central nervous system metastases from epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: The clinical and pathologic characteristics, treatment, and outcome of 23 patients with brain metastases from epithelial ovarian cancer who were treated during 1982-1994 were compared with those of 20 patients treated during 1995-2010 at the same center.

Results: No differences were found in terms of primary tumor characteristics, time interval from ovarian cancer diagnosis to brain involvement diagnosis, sites of metastasis, and presence of extracranial disease. The main difference between the 2 groups was the therapeutic approach. During 1982-1994, most patients received radiotherapy only, whereas most patients during 1995-2010 underwent surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The duration of survival during 1982-1994 was 5 months, which was significantly shorter than the duration of survival (18 months) during 1995-2010.

Conclusion: An aggressive multimodal treatment approach might prolong the survival of patients with brain involvement from ovarian cancer.