The overall treatment paradigm for melanoma brain metastases continues to evolve and reflects the relative radioresistance of this histology, as well as the effect of emerging systemic therapies with central nervous system (CNS) activity. Local therapies, including surgery, whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), play an important role in the multidisciplinary management of melanoma brain metastases. Treatment selection for local therapies must consider many factors: (1) size, number, and location of lesions, (2) presence or absence of neurological symptoms, (3) extracranial disease status, expected survival, age, and performance status, (4) prior treatment history, (5) expected treatment toxicities, and (6) predicted response to systemic therapies. The choice of treatment modalities for brain metastases is among the most controversial areas in oncology. There has been a trend toward reduced use of WBRT and increased reliance on SRS and surgery for melanoma brain metastases. Although no prospective randomized data exist comparing local therapies for melanoma brain metastases, several large retrospective studies suggest aggressive local treatment with modalities including surgery and SRS are associated with favorable outcomes in select patients. Multidisciplinary collaboration is required to facilitate a treatment plan that balances reduction in risk of neurological death and symptomatic progression against the risk of treatment-related toxicity.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.14694/EdBook_AM.2013.33.399 | DOI Listing |
Sci Adv
January 2025
School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
The prevalent tumor-supporting glioblastoma-associated macrophages (GAMs) promote glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) progression and resistance to multiple therapies. Repolarizing GAMs from tumor-supporting to tumor-inhibiting phenotype may troubleshoot. However, sufficient accumulation of drugs at the GBM site is restricted by blood-brain barrier (BBB).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWorld J Clin Cases
January 2025
Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece.
Carcinosarcoma (CS), also known as metaplastic breast carcinoma with mesenchymal differentiation, is one of the five distinct subtypes of metaplastic breast cancer. It is considered as a mixed, biphasic neoplasm consisting of a carcinomatous component combined with a malignant nonepithelial element of mesenchymal origin without an intermediate transition zone. Although cellular origin of this neoplasm remains controversial, most researchers declare that neoplastic cells derive from a cellular structure with potential biphasic differentiation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Spine
October 2024
Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Bergen, Norway.
Introduction: Extraneural metastases (ENM) from glioblastoma (GBM) remain extremely rare with only a scarce number of cases described in the literature. The lack of cases leads to no consensus on the optimal treatment and follow-up of these patients.
Research Question: Do patient or tumor characteristics describe risk factors for ENM in GBM patients, and is it possible to identify mechanisms of action?
Material And Methods: This study presents a 55-year-old man with diagnosed GBM who was referred to a CT due to reduced general condition and mild back pain which revealed extensive systemic metastases.
J Biomed Opt
January 2025
TU Dresden, Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Clinical Sensing and Monitoring, Dresden, Germany.
Significance: The precise identification and preservation of functional brain areas during neurosurgery are crucial for optimizing surgical outcomes and minimizing postoperative deficits. Intraoperative imaging plays a vital role in this context, offering insights that guide surgeons in protecting critical cortical regions.
Aim: We aim to evaluate and compare the efficacy of intraoperative thermal imaging (ITI) and intraoperative optical imaging (IOI) in detecting the primary somatosensory cortex, providing a detailed assessment of their potential integration into surgical practice.
Cerebellum
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Repeat expansions in the fibroblast growth factor 14 gene (FGF14), associated with spinocerebellar ataxia type 27B (SCA27B), have emerged as a prevalent cause of previously unexplained late-onset cerebellar ataxia. Here, we present a patient with residual symptom of gait ataxia after complicated meningioma surgery, who presented with progressive symptoms of oculomotor disturbances, speech difficulties, vertigo and worsening of gait imbalance, twelve years post-resection. Neuroimaging revealed a surgical resection cavity in the dorsolateral side of the left cerebellar hemisphere, accompanied by gliosis in left cerebellar hemisphere extending into the vermis, extensive non-specific supratentorial periventricular white matter abnormalities, and mild atrophy of the cerebellar vermis.
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