Frequency of seizures in patients with metastatic brain tumors.

Introduction: We sought to determine the influence of primary tumor histology and metastatic tumor location on the frequency of seizures among patients with brain metastases. A secondary aim was to determine if surgery reduced the occurrence and frequency of seizures.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with cerebral metastasis at a single institution from 2006 to 2016.

Results: Among 1949 patients identified as having had cerebral metastasis, 168 (8.6%) had documentation of one or more seizures. The incidence of seizures was highest among patients with metastases from melanoma (19.8%), followed by those with colon cancer (9.7%), renal cell carcinoma (RCC; 8.3%), and lung cancer (7.0%). Among 1581 patients with melanoma, colon cancer, RCC, non-small cell lung cancer, or breast cancer, having metastases in the frontal lobe seemed to confer the greatest risk of seizures (n = 100), followed by foci in the temporal lobe (n = 20) and elsewhere (n = 16).

Conclusion: Patients with cerebral metastasis are at increased risk for seizures. Seizure rates seem to be higher for certain primary tumors, such as melanoma, colon cancer, and RCC, and for lesions located in the frontal lobe.