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1.
J Neurooncol ; 126(1): 185-192, 2016 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26476729

ABSTRACT

Survival for glioblastoma (GBM) patients with an unmethyated MGMT promoter in their tumor is generally worse than methylated MGMT tumors, as temozolomide (TMZ) response is limited. How to better treat patients with unmethylated MGMT is unknown. We performed a trial combining erlotinib and bevacizumab in unmethylated GBM patients after completion of radiation (RT) and TMZ. GBM patients with an unmethylated MGMT promoter were trial eligible. Patient received standard RT (60 Gy) and TMZ (75 mg/m2 × 6 weeks) after surgical resection of their tumor. After completion of RT they started erlotinib 150 mg daily and bevacizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks until progression. Imaging evaluations occurred every 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Of the 48 unmethylated patients enrolled, 46 were evaluable (29 men and 17 women); median age was 55.5 years (29-75) and median KPS was 90 (70-100). All patients completed RT with TMZ. The median number of cycles (1 cycle was 4 weeks) was 8 (2-47). Forty-one patients either progressed or died with a median progression free survival of 9.2 months. At a follow up of 33 months the median overall survival was 13.2 months. There were no unexpected toxicities and most observed toxicities were categorized as CTC grade 1 or 2. The combination of erlotinib and bevacizumab is tolerable but did not meet our primary endpoint of increasing survival. Importantly, more trials are needed to find better therapies for GBM patients with an unmethylated MGMT promoter.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Bevacizumab/therapeutic use , Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy , Erlotinib Hydrochloride/therapeutic use , Glioblastoma/drug therapy , Radiotherapy/adverse effects , Adult , DNA Methylation , DNA Modification Methylases/genetics , Dacarbazine/adverse effects , Dacarbazine/analogs & derivatives , Disease-Free Survival , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Temozolomide , Treatment Outcome , Young Adult
2.
Neuro Oncol ; 13(12): 1324-30, 2011 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21954442

ABSTRACT

Sorafenib is an inhibitor of multiple kinases that has demonstrated antiproliferative and antiangiogenic activity in a number of in vitro and in vivo model systems. A phase I study was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of sorafenib in patients with recurrent malignant glioma. Sorafenib was given orally, twice a day (BID), continuously in 28-day cycles. The dose was escalated in 2 groups of patients stratified by use of enzyme-inducing antiseizure drugs (± EIASDs). Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as any grades 3-4 nonhematological toxicity, grade 4 hematological toxicity, and febrile neutropenia. The number of evaluable patients enrolled in the +EIASD and -EIASD arms were 23 and 24, respectively. DLTs were predominantly dermatological and gastrointestinal effects, as observed in previous clinical trials of sorafenib. The MTD was 600 mg BID for patients receiving EIASDs and 800 mg BID for those who were not. The plasma pharmacokinetics of sorafenib were not significantly affected by the concurrent administration of EIASDs. The MTD of sorafenib given orally BID on a continuous basis was established as 600 mg BID in patients with malignant glioma who were concurrently receiving EIASDs and 800 mg BID in those who were not. Further evaluation is warranted of sorafenib at the recommended MTD against recurrent or progressive malignant glioma in combination with other molecularly targeted drugs or in the newly diagnosed setting concurrent with chemoradiation.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Benzenesulfonates/therapeutic use , Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy , Glioma/drug therapy , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy , Pyridines/therapeutic use , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacokinetics , Benzenesulfonates/pharmacokinetics , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Disease Progression , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Glioma/pathology , Humans , Male , Maximum Tolerated Dose , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology , Niacinamide/analogs & derivatives , Phenylurea Compounds , Pyridines/pharmacokinetics , Sorafenib , Tissue Distribution , Treatment Outcome , Young Adult
3.
J Clin Oncol ; 19(13): 3260-6, 2001 Jul 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11432894

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine the toxicity, efficacy, and pharmacology of suramin in patients with recurrent or progressive recurrent high-grade gliomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty adults were to receive suramin. However, if no responses were seen in the first ten patients, the study was to be terminated. A total of 12 patients were enrolled onto this trial. Ten patients had glioblastoma multiforme, and 11 had received prior nitrosoureas. RESULTS: Drug-related toxicities were modest and reversible. Three patients developed grade 3 to 4 neutropenia, constipation, diarrhea, or nausea. No CNS bleeding was observed. Median time to progression was 55 days (range, 17 to 242 days) and median survival was 191 days (range, 42 to 811 days). No partial or complete responses were seen at 12 weeks. However, the clinical outcome of three patients suggests that evidence of suramin activity may be delayed. One patient who "progressed" after 12 weeks of suramin had a subsequent marked reduction in tumor size and has maintained an excellent partial response for over 2 years without other therapy. Two others had disease stabilization and lived for 16 and 27 months. Pharmacokinetics from 11 patients revealed that all reached target suramin concentrations. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that suramin is well tolerated by patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas and may have efficacy in this disease. Its pharmacology seems unaffected by anticonvulsants. As a result of this data, suramin and radiation are now being administered concurrently to patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme, with survival as the primary outcome.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Central Nervous System Neoplasms/drug therapy , Glioma/drug therapy , Suramin/therapeutic use , Adult , Aged , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Central Nervous System Neoplasms/mortality , Central Nervous System Neoplasms/pathology , Female , Glioma/mortality , Glioma/pathology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy , Suramin/pharmacology , Survival Rate
4.
Br J Cancer ; 84(2): 157-63, 2001 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11161370

ABSTRACT

DepoCyte is a slow-release formulation of cytarabine designed for intrathecal administration. The goal of this multi-centre cohort study was to determine the safety and efficacy of DepoCyte for the intrathecal treatment of neoplastic meningitis due to breast cancer. DepoCyte 50 mg was injected once every 2 weeks for one month of induction therapy; responding patients were treated with an additional 3 months of consolidation therapy. All patients had metastatic breast cancer and a positive CSF cytology or neurologic findings characteristic of neoplastic meningitis. The median number of DepoCyte doses was 3, and 85% of patients completed the planned 1 month induction. Median follow up is currently 19 months. The primary endpoint was response, defined as conversion of the CSF cytology from positive to negative at all sites known to be positive, and the absence of neurologic progression at the time the cytologic conversion was documented. The response rate among the 43 evaluable patients was 28% (CI 95%: 14-41%); the intent-to-treat response rate was 21% (CI 95%: 12-34%). Median time to neurologic progression was 49 days (range 1-515(+)); median survival was 88 days (range 1-515(+)), and 1 year survival is projected to be 19%. The major adverse events were headache and arachnoiditis. When drug-related, these were largely of low grade, transient and reversible. Headache occurred on 11% of cycles; 90% were grade 1 or 2. Arachnoiditis occurred on 19% of cycles; 88% were grade 1 or 2. DepoCyte demonstrated activity in neoplastic meningitis due to breast cancer that is comparable to results reported with conventional intrathecal agents. However, this activity was achieved with one fourth as many intrathecal injections as typically required in conventional therapy. The every 2 week dose schedule is a major advantage for both patients and physicians.


Subject(s)
Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Cytarabine/therapeutic use , Meningeal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Adult , Aged , Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/adverse effects , Arachnoiditis/chemically induced , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Cohort Studies , Cytarabine/adverse effects , Delayed-Action Preparations , Female , Headache/chemically induced , Humans , Injections, Spinal , Meningeal Neoplasms/secondary , Middle Aged , Nausea/chemically induced , Survival Analysis , Treatment Outcome , Treatment Refusal , Vomiting/chemically induced
5.
Clin Cancer Res ; 5(11): 3394-402, 1999 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10589750

ABSTRACT

Standard treatment for neoplastic meningitis requires frequent intrathecal (IT) injections of chemotherapy and is only modestly effective. DepoCyt is a sustained-release formulation of cytarabine that maintains cytotoxic concentrations of the drug in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for more than 14 days after a single 50-mg injection. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial of DepoCyt versus methotrexate in patients with solid tumor neoplastic meningitis. Sixty-one patients with histologically proven cancer and positive CSF cytologies were randomized to receive IT DepoCyt (31 patients) or IT methotrexate (30 patients). Patients received up to six 50-mg doses of DepoCyt or up to sixteen 10-mg doses of methotrexate over 3 months. Treatment arms were well balanced with respect to demographic and disease-related characteristics. Responses occurred in 26% of DepoCyt-treated and 20% of methotrexate-treated patients (P = 0.76). Median survival was 105 days in the DepoCyt arm and 78 days in the methotrexate arm (log-rank P = 0.15). The DepoCyt group experienced a greater median time to neurological progression (58 versus 30 days; log-rank P = 0.007) and longer neoplastic meningitis-specific survival (log-rank P = 0.074; median meningitis-specific survival, 343 versus 98 days). Factors predictive of longer progression-free survival included absence of visible central nervous system disease on neuroimaging studies (P<0.001), longer pretreatment duration of CSF disease (P<0.001), history of intraparenchymal tumor (P<0.001), and treatment with DepoCyt (P = 0.002). The frequency and grade of adverse events were comparable between treatment arms. In patients with solid tumor neoplastic meningitis, DepoCyt produced a response rate comparable to that of methotrexate and significantly increased the time to neurological progression while offering the benefit of a less demanding dose schedule.


Subject(s)
Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use , Cytarabine/therapeutic use , Meningeal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Meningeal Neoplasms/secondary , Methotrexate/therapeutic use , Adult , Aged , Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/administration & dosage , Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Small Cell/drug therapy , Cytarabine/administration & dosage , Delayed-Action Preparations , Disease Progression , Female , Humans , Injections, Spinal , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Male , Melanoma/drug therapy , Meningeal Neoplasms/mortality , Methotrexate/administration & dosage , Middle Aged , Neoplasms/pathology , Prospective Studies , Survival Rate , Survivors
6.
J Clin Oncol ; 17(10): 3110-6, 1999 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10506606

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a slow-release formulation of cytarabine (DepoCyt; Chiron Corp, Emeryville, CA, and Skye Pharma, Inc, San Diego, CA) that maintains cytotoxic concentrations of cytarabine (ara-C) in the CSF of most patients for more than 14 days. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with lymphoma and a positive CSF cytology were randomized to receive DepoCyt 50 mg once every 2 weeks or free ara-C 50 mg twice a week for 1 month. Patients whose CSF cytology converted to negative and who did not have neurologic progression received an additional 3 months of consolidation therapy and then 4 months of maintenance therapy. All patients received dexamethasone 4 mg orally bid on days 1 through 5 of each 2-week cycle. RESULTS: The response rate was 71% for DepoCyt and 15% for ara-C on an intent-to-treat basis (P =.006). All of the patients on the DepoCyt arm but only 53% of those on the ara-C arm were able to complete the planned 1-month induction therapy regimen. Time to neurologic progression and survival trend in favor of DepoCyt (median, 78.5 v 42 days and 99.5 v 63 days, respectively; P >.05). DepoCyt treatment was associated with an improved mean change in Karnofsky performance score at the end of induction (P =.041). The major adverse events on both arms were headache and arachnoiditis, which were often caused by the underlying disease. CONCLUSION: DepoCyt injected once every 2 weeks produced a high response rate and a better quality of life as measured by Karnofsky score relative to that produced by free ara-C injected twice a week.


Subject(s)
Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/administration & dosage , Cytarabine/administration & dosage , Lymphoma/complications , Meningitis, Aseptic/drug therapy , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use , Cytarabine/therapeutic use , Delayed-Action Preparations , Female , Humans , Injections, Spinal , Male , Meningitis, Aseptic/etiology , Middle Aged , Quality of Life , Survival Analysis , Treatment Outcome
7.
J Interferon Cytokine Res ; 18(6): 377-85, 1998 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-9660244

ABSTRACT

Controlled-release ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVAc), which were used previously for the in vivo intracerebral delivery of chemotherapeutics, were evaluated as a possible route of localized intracerebral delivery of interferon (IFN). Natural mouse IFN-alpha/beta (Mu-IFN-alpha/beta) was incorporated into polymers at 5% or 10% by weight with 2 x 10(4) U or 4 x 10(4) U, respectively. In vitro and in vivo studies of the release of Mu-IFN-alpha/beta from EVAc polymers showed the released IFN to be biologically active, as determined by the inhibition assay of viral cytopathic effect (CPE). Evaluation of the in vitro kinetics of release showed that most of the IFN activity was released in the first 4 days, with the rest being released thereafter. The in vivo kinetic release of Mu-IFN-alpha/beta from intracerebrally implanted polymers showed that most of the IFN activity was released within 24 h after polymer implantation in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the polymer. This IFN activity gradually decreased over the next 72 h, with a significant linear trend (p < 0.0001). The hemisphere contralateral to the implanted polymer showed no significant levels of IFN activity throughout the 4 days of evaluation. By contrast, blood levels of IFN increased from day 1 to day 4, showing a significant linear trend (p = 0.0125), with IFN levels on day 4 being significantly higher (p < 0.05) than on day 1 after polymer implant. This study demonstrates the feasibility of intracranial controlled local delivery of IFN using a polymer delivery device.


Subject(s)
Cerebral Cortex/drug effects , Interferons/administration & dosage , Polyvinyls , Animals , Cerebral Cortex/metabolism , Delayed-Action Preparations , Drug Carriers , Drug Delivery Systems , Female , Interferons/pharmacokinetics , Interferons/therapeutic use , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL
8.
Magn Reson Imaging ; 16(3): 271-9, 1998 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-9621968

ABSTRACT

An automatic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) multispectral segmentation method and a visual metric are compared for their effectiveness to measure tumor response to therapy. Automatic response measurements are important for multicenter clinical trials. A visual metric such as the product of the largest diameter and the largest perpendicular diameter of the tumor is a standard approach, and is currently used in the Radiation Treatment Oncology Group (RTOG) and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (EGOG) clinical trials. In the standard approach, the tumor response is based on the percentage change in the visual metric and is categorized into cure, partial response, stable disease, or progression. Both visual and automatic methods are applied to six brain tumor cases (gliomas) of varying levels of segmentation difficulty. The analyzed data were serial multispectral MR images, collected using MR contrast enhancement. A fully automatic knowledge guided method (KG) was applied to the MRI multispectral data, while the visual metric was taken from the MRI films using the T1 gadolinium enhanced image, with repeat measurements done by two radiologists and two residents. Tumor measurements from both visual and automatic methods are compared to "ground truth," (GT) i.e., manually segmented tumor. The KG method was found to slightly overestimate tumor volume, but in a consistent manner, and the estimated tumor response compared very well to hand-drawn ground truth with a correlation coefficient of 0.96. In contrast, the visually estimated metric had a large variation between observers, particularly for difficult cases, where the tumor margins are not well delineated. The inter-observer variation for the measurement of the visual metric was only 16%, i.e., observers generally agreed on the lengths of the diameters. However, in 30% of the studied cases no consensus was found for the categorical tumor response measurement, indicating that the categories are very sensitive to variations in the diameter measurements. Moreover, the method failed to correctly identify the response in half of the cases. The data demonstrate that automatic 3D methods are clearly necessary for objective and clinically meaningful assessment of tumor volume in single or multicenter clinical trials.


Subject(s)
Artificial Intelligence , Brain Neoplasms/therapy , Expert Systems , Glioblastoma/therapy , Image Enhancement/instrumentation , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/instrumentation , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/instrumentation , Adult , Aged , Artifacts , Brain/pathology , Brain Neoplasms/diagnosis , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Clinical Trials as Topic , Combined Modality Therapy , Feasibility Studies , Female , Glioblastoma/diagnosis , Glioblastoma/pathology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Radiotherapy , Sensitivity and Specificity , Treatment Outcome
9.
J Neurooncol ; 34(2): 193-200, 1997 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-9210068

ABSTRACT

The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group enrolled 30 patients with recurrent malignant astrocytomas onto a phase II study (RTOG 91-13). Patients were treated with all-trans-retinoic acid at a starting dose of 120 mg/m2 per day orally continuously until disease progression. Fourteen patients had glioblastoma, 14 had anaplastic astrocytoma, and 2 had other histologies; 53% were under 50 years of age. All patients had failed radiation therapy and/or at least one chemotherapy regimen. All patients had a Karnofsky performance status score of at least 70, but only 37% had a KPS of 90-100. Forty percent had a neurologic function status of grade 1 (able to work). A minimum of 4 weeks of all-trans-retinoic acid defined adequate treatment. Twenty-five patients received adequate therapy. Most common toxicities were dry skin, cheilitis, anemia, and headache; 3 patients had grade 3 headache requiring suspension of all-trans-retinoic acid. No grade 3 hematologic toxicity was observed. Of 25 adequately treated patients, 3 showed objective regression of tumor on magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans, 3 patients remained stable, and 19 patients had disease progression. The median time to tumor progression was 3.8 months and the median survival time was 5.7 months. This study suggests that this dose of single agent all-trans-retinoic acid has modest clinical activity against recurrent malignant gliomas with tolerable side effects. A response rate of 12% and a stabilization rate of 12% are lower than expected. Future studies with higher dosage or in combination with biological response modifiers or chemotherapy may be warranted.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Astrocytoma/drug therapy , Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy , Tretinoin/therapeutic use , Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects , Astrocytoma/mortality , Astrocytoma/pathology , Astrocytoma/radiotherapy , Brain Neoplasms/mortality , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Brain Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Disease Progression , Female , Glioblastoma/drug therapy , Glioblastoma/pathology , Glioblastoma/radiotherapy , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/mortality , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/radiotherapy , Neurologic Examination , Survival Rate , Time Factors , Treatment Failure , Tretinoin/adverse effects
10.
Magn Reson Imaging ; 15(3): 323-34, 1997.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-9201680

ABSTRACT

The performance evaluation of a semi-supervised fuzzy c-means (SFCM) clustering method for monitoring brain tumor volume changes during the course of routine clinical radiation-therapeutic and chemo-therapeutic regimens is presented. The tumor volume determined using the SFCM method was compared with the volume estimates obtained using three other methods: (a) a k nearest neighbor (kNN) classifier, b) a grey level thresholding and seed growing (ISG-SG) method and c) a manual pixel labeling (GT) method for ground truth estimation. The SFCM and kNN methods are applied to the multispectral, contrast enhanced T1, proton density, and T2 weighted, magnetic resonance images (MRI) whereas the ISG-SG and GT methods are applied only to the contrast enhanced T1 weighted image. Estimations of tumor volume were made on eight patient cases with follow-up MRI scans performed over a 32 week interval during treatment. The tumor cases studied include one meningioma, two brain metastases and five gliomas. Comparisons with manually labeled ground truth estimations showed that there is a limited agreement between the segmentation methods for absolute tumor volume measurements when using images of patients after treatment. The average intraobserver reproducibility for the SFCM, kNN and ISG-SG methods was found to be 5.8%, 6.6% and 8.9%, respectively. The average of the interobserver reproducibility of these methods was found to be 5.5%, 6.5% and 11.4%, respectively. For the measurement of relative change of tumor volume as required for the response assessment, the multi-spectral methods kNN and SFCM are therefore preferred over the seedgrowing method.


Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms/therapy , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Adult , Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Brain Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Brain Neoplasms/secondary , Contrast Media , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Fuzzy Logic , Glioblastoma/pathology , Glioblastoma/therapy , Humans , Image Enhancement/methods , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods , Male , Meningioma/pathology , Meningioma/therapy , Middle Aged , Observer Variation , Pattern Recognition, Automated , Reproducibility of Results
11.
Anticancer Res ; 16(6B): 3475-82, 1996.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-9042209

ABSTRACT

The effect of mouse interferon-alpha/beta (MuIFN-alpha/beta on growth/viability, cell cycle regulation, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) protein expression, leukotriene B4 (LTB4) biosynthesis and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression of mouse glioma (G-26) cells in vitro was studied. The G-26 cells were treated with 800 IU/ml of MuIFN-alpha/beta for 1, 2, 3 and 4 days. The growth and viability of glioma cells was evaluated by [3H]-thymidine incorporation and MTT (3(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazoliumbromi de) assay, resulted in a time dependent decrease in [3H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA and MTT formazan formation, respectively. The cell cycle regulation measured by flow cytometry with propidium iodide staining revealed that the cell multiplication cycle was slowed down due to accumulation of cell in S-phase of the cell cycle, leading to inhibition in G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. The 5-LO protein expression (measured by Western immunoblot analysis) and LTB4 biosynthesis (measured by enzyme immunoassay) were found to be increased by 2 to 2.4 fold and several fold respectively on days 3 and 4 of MuIFN-alpha/beta treatment. The GFAP protein expression was also found to be increased at least by 3 fold on day 4 of the MuIFN-alpha/beta treatment. These results suggest that inhibition in growth and thereby slowing of the cell multiplication cycle of glioma cells has resulted in upregulation of GFAP expression and 5-LO pathway.


Subject(s)
Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase/metabolism , Glioma/enzymology , Glioma/pathology , Interferon-alpha/pharmacology , Interferon-beta/pharmacology , Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism , Animals , Cell Cycle/drug effects , Cell Division/drug effects , Leukotriene B4/metabolism , Mice , S Phase , Time Factors
12.
Surg Neurol ; 45(4): 362-5, 1996 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-8607087

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although primary intramedullary tumors of the spinal cord with syrinx formation are well documented, there have been no reports of extensive syrinx formation or cystic degeneration associated with radiation necrosis. METHODS: We report a case of radiation necrosis and syrinx formation in a 49-year-old woman with a 5-year history of astrocytoma grade II of the cervical cord, who progressed to quadriparesis following surgery and radiation therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical and thoracic spine demonstrated enlargement of upper cervical cord (C1-C6) with diffuse increased signal enhancing mass by gadolinium, as well as appearance of syrinx from T4-T10. RESULTS: Autopsy findings indeed revealed a small, residual, infiltrating glioma in the upper cervical areas, but the diffuse parenchymal abnormality seen on MRI as prolonged T2 characteristics on double-echo spin-echo sequence was revealed to be radiation necrosis. CONCLUSION: What appeared to be a cystic cavity or syrinx at the thoracic level was also diagnosed as radiation necrosis with cyst formation on histologic examination.


Subject(s)
Astrocytoma/radiotherapy , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Radiation Injuries/diagnosis , Radiation Injuries/etiology , Radiotherapy/adverse effects , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Spinal Cord/radiation effects , Syringomyelia/diagnosis , Adult , Astrocytoma/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Postoperative Complications/diagnosis , Postoperative Complications/etiology , Spinal Cord/pathology , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/diagnosis , Syringomyelia/etiology
13.
J Neuroimaging ; 6(2): 115-7, 1996 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-8634484

ABSTRACT

Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis with an associated syrinx diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MR) is described. The patient had documented simultaneous leptomeningeal spread of malignant cells and intramedullary spinal cord metastasis with hyalinized blood vessels, venous dilatation, and cavitation detected by autopsy. Metastasis to the spinal cord is unusual, but well described. Syrinx associated with intramedullary spinal cord metastasis has been detected rarely. MRI of syrinx and intramedullary spinal cord metastasis, and the possible pathogenesis of these lesions are discussed.


Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/secondary , Arachnoid/pathology , Fistula/diagnosis , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Meningeal Neoplasms/secondary , Pia Mater/pathology , Spinal Cord Diseases/diagnosis , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/secondary , Adult , Cerebellar Neoplasms/secondary , Cerebellopontine Angle/pathology , Fatal Outcome , Fistula/etiology , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , Male , Spinal Cord Diseases/etiology
14.
Cancer ; 76(9): 1634-42, 1995 Nov 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-8635069

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Studies indicate that the incidence of primary malignant brain tumors in the elderly is increasing, but this may reflect increased case ascertainment due to the introduction of computed tomography (CT) scanning. In addition, tumor histology was not available in these studies. This study was conducted to determine whether the incidence of primary malignant brain tumors in the elderly in Florida is increasing and to verify the histology of these increases. METHODS: Using the number of primary malignant brain tumors reported to the Florida Cancer Data System (FCDS) when CT scanning was available, incidence rates per 100,000 people were calculated. Incidence density ratios (IDRs) were calculated for 1986-1989 relative to 1981-1984. RESULTS: Tumor incidence at ages 20-64 years increased from 5.7 in 1981-1984 to 5.9 in 1986-1989, with an IDR of 1.05 (not significant). The incidence in those aged 65 years or older rose from 14.8 to 18.3, with an IDR of 1.23 (P < 0.001). The increase was 15% in those aged 65-69, 16% in those 70-74 years, 30% in those 75-79 years, 36% in those 80-84 years, and 254% in those 85 years or older. Indicence density ratios in those aged 65 years or older were 0.92 (not significant) for astrocytoma, 2.7 (p < 0.001) for anaplastic astrocytoma, 1.32 (p < 0.001) for glioblastoma and 3.56 (p < 0.001) for lymphoma. In those aged 65+ the incidence of all cancers rose 7.6% (not significant), and the incidence of pancreatic cancer (another neoplasm that requires CT scanning for diagnosis) rose 0.34% (not significant). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of primary brain tumors in elderly Floridians has increased. This increase is independent of increased case ascertainment associated with the introduction of CT scanning and independent of a general increase of all cancers. The rise in brain tumor incidence is observed in anaplastic astrocytoma, glioblastoma, and lymphoma but not astrocytoma. This study confirms the increase is histologically specific and not due to increased case ascertainment. Further investigation into the etiology of this increase is warranted.


Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms/epidemiology , Glioma/epidemiology , Lymphoma/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Astrocytoma/diagnostic imaging , Astrocytoma/epidemiology , Brain Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Florida/epidemiology , Glioblastoma/diagnostic imaging , Glioblastoma/epidemiology , Glioma/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Lymphoma/diagnostic imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Tomography, X-Ray Computed
15.
J Magn Reson Imaging ; 5(5): 594-605, 1995.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-8574047

ABSTRACT

We examined unsupervised methods of segmentation of MR images of the brain for measuring tumor volume in response to treatment. Two clustering methods were used: fuzzy c-means and a nonfuzzy clustering algorithm. Results were compared with volume segmentations by two supervised methods, k-nearest neighbors and region growing, and all results were compared with manual labelings. Results of individual segmentations are presented as well as comparisons on the application of the different methods with 10 data sets of patients with brain tumors. Unsupervised segmentation is preferred for measuring tumor volumes in response to treatment, as it eliminates operator dependency and may be adequate for delineation of the target volume in radiation therapy. Some obstacles need to be overcome, in particular regarding the detection of anatomically relevant tissue classes. This study shows that these improvements are possible.


Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Meningeal Neoplasms/pathology , Meningioma/pathology , Adult , Aged , Algorithms , Brain Neoplasms/diagnosis , Humans , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/instrumentation , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Male , Meningeal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Meningeal Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Meningioma/diagnosis , Meningioma/radiotherapy , Middle Aged , Models, Theoretical , Radiographic Image Enhancement
16.
Cancer Control ; 2(4): 293-299, 1995 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10862168

ABSTRACT

Unique methods for determining exact borders of intra-axial brain tumors using magnetic resonance imaging-based, computer-assisted, and automated systems are currently under development at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. Detection of tumor growth rate changes may be obtained more accurately and easily, leading to improved patient care through early institution of effective, new chemotherapy and radiotherapy regimens.

17.
Cancer Control ; 2(4): 309-314, 1995 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10862170

ABSTRACT

Based on data from the Florida Cancer Data System for the periods from 1981 through 1984 and 1986 through 1989, the incidence of primary malignant brain tumors in those aged 65 years or older rose steadily. The incidence of primary brain tumors in elderly Floridians has escalated independent of increased case ascertainment associated with the introduction of computed tomography scanning or magnetic resonance imaging and is observed in anaplastic astrocytoma, glioblastoma, and lymphoma, but not in low-grade astrocytoma.

18.
J Neuroimaging ; 5(3): 171-7, 1995 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-7626825

ABSTRACT

Computer-assisted diagnostic systems enhance the information available from magnetic resonance imaging. Segmentations are the basis on which three-dimensional volume renderings are made. The application of a raw data-based, operator-independent (automatic), magnetic resonance segmentation technique for tissue differentiation is demonstrated. Segmentation images of vasogenic edema with gross and histopathological correlation are presented for demonstration of the technique. A pixel was classified into a tissue class based on a feature vector using unsupervised fuzzy clustering techniques as the pattern recognition method. Correlation of fuzzy segmentations and gross and histopathology were successfully performed. Based on the results of neuropathological correlation, the application of fuzzy magnetic resonance image segmentation to a patient with a brain tumor and extensive edema represents a viable technique for automatically displaying clinically important tissue differentiation. With this pattern recognition technique, it is possible to generate automatic segmentation images that display diagnostically relevant neuroanatomical and neuropathological tissue contrast information from raw magnetic resonance data for use in three-dimensional volume reconstructions.


Subject(s)
Brain Edema/diagnosis , Brain Neoplasms/diagnosis , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Adult , Algorithms , Brain Edema/pathology , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Data Display , Fuzzy Logic , Glioblastoma/diagnosis , Glioblastoma/pathology , Humans , Image Enhancement , Male , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/diagnosis , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology , Neoplasms, Second Primary/diagnosis , Neoplasms, Second Primary/pathology , Pattern Recognition, Automated
19.
Am J Med Sci ; 309(6): 317-21, 1995 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-7771502

ABSTRACT

Hypoglycemia secondary to a meningioma that has not metastasized to the liver has not been reported previously. A 41-year-old woman with a spinal cord meningioma first diagnosed 5 years previously with 3 recurrences in the spinal cord resulting in 4 neurosurgical procedures was admitted with a serum glucose of 23 mg/dL. Six months before the current admission, the patient was noted to have an abdominal mass of 10 cm not present on previous computed tomography. Three months later, the mass was 15.2 cm, and on the current admission, had increased to 23 cm and encased both the aorta and inferior vena cava. A needle biopsy of this mass before referral to the authors' hospital with hypoglycemia revealed that it was a meningioma. Evaluation of the etiology of the hypoglycemia, which required continuous intravenous glucose therapy, revealed that circulating insulin, C-peptide (i.e., connecting peptide), insulin-like growth factor-I (i.e., somatomedin-C) and insulin-like growth factor-II were all normal or low. Serum cortisol also was not low. Based on her endocrine evaluation, the hypoglycemia was secondary to the large mass of tumor cells, requiring a large glucose uptake to sustain its growth. After radiation therapy of 3,770 CGy to the meningioma, the patient became euglycemic without glucose supplementation.


Subject(s)
Hypoglycemia/etiology , Meningioma/complications , Adult , Biopsy, Needle , C-Peptide/blood , Female , Glucose/therapeutic use , Humans , Hydrocortisone/blood , Hypoglycemia/blood , Hypoglycemia/drug therapy , Insulin/blood , Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/metabolism , Insulin-Like Growth Factor II/metabolism , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Meningioma/radiotherapy , Meningioma/surgery , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/complications , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/surgery
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