Endoscopic Endonasal Approach for Optic Canal Dural Metastasis in a Patient with Progressive Visual Dysfunction: A Case Report.

To improve optic nerve function in a patient with progressive visual dysfunction, performing early decompressive and debulking surgery for a metastatic tumor located in the optic canal is essential. The endoscopic endonasal approach could be a practical and effective alternative for lesions in the inferomedial part of the optic canal. A 66-year-old man with a right visual eye field deficit had multiple lesions in the pineal gland, occipital lobe, and right inferomedial optic canal. The optic nerve was distorted by a tumor compressing against the falciform ligament. Although a systemic examination suggested the presence of primary lung cancer, the patient only complained of progressive visual impairment in the right eye. We planned surgery with endoscopic transethmoidal and transsphenoidal approaches to restore visual function and make a pathological diagnosis. During the procedure, we drilled the sella floor, tuberculum sellae, and optic canal and successfully removed the tumor underneath the dura mater. The patient's visual function improved rapidly following surgery, and no complications were observed, such as cerebrospinal fluid leakage. After confirming the pathological diagnosis, the patient subsequently received whole-brain radiotherapy. The endoscopic endonasal skull base approach to the optic canal region could be a practical alternative for treating symptomatic metastatic tumors.

Noninvasive therapy of brain cancer using a unique systemic delivery methodology with a cancer terminator virus.

Primary, glioblastoma, and secondary brain tumors, from metastases outside the brain, are among the most aggressive and therapeutically resistant cancers. A physiological barrier protecting the brain, the blood-brain barrier (BBB), functions as a deterrent to effective therapies. To enhance cancer therapy, we developed a cancer terminator virus (CTV), a unique tropism-modified adenovirus consisting of serotype 3 fiber knob on an otherwise Ad5 capsid that replicates in a cancer-selective manner and simultaneously produces a potent therapeutic cytokine, melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7/interleukin-24 (MDA-7/IL-24). A limitation of the CTV and most other viruses, including adenoviruses, is an inability to deliver systemically to treat brain tumors because of the BBB, nonspecific virus trapping, and immune clearance. These obstacles to effective viral therapy of brain cancer have now been overcome using focused ultrasound with a dual microbubble treatment, the focused ultrasound-double microbubble (FUS-DMB) approach. Proof-of-principle is now provided indicating that the BBB can be safely and transiently opened, and the CTV can then be administered in a second set of complement-treated microbubbles and released in the brain using focused ultrasound. Moreover, the FUS-DMB can be used to deliver the CTV multiple times in animals with glioblastoma  growing in their brain thereby resulting in a further enhancement in survival. This strategy permits efficient therapy of primary and secondary brain tumors enhancing animal survival without promoting harmful toxic or behavioral side effects. Additionally, when combined with a standard of care therapy, Temozolomide, a further increase in survival is achieved. The FUS-DMB approach with the CTV highlights a noninvasive strategy to treat brain cancers without surgery. This innovative delivery scheme combined with the therapeutic efficacy of the CTV provides a novel potential translational therapeutic approach for brain cancers.

Metastasis infiltrating tumor to meningioma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: There have been many reports of tumor-to-tumor metastasis, in which cancer metastasizes directly into meningiomas. However, metastasis infiltrating tumors in which cancer metastasizes around meningiomas are rare. Therefore, we report a case of metastasis originating from lung cancer that infiltrated meningioma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 79-year-old Japanese woman underwent head magnetic resonance imaging for brain metastasis screening before lung cancer surgery. At that time, asymptomatic meningioma of the left frontal region was accidentally found. Magnetic resonance imaging 6 months later revealed a lesion suspected to be a metastatic brain tumor close to the meningioma. Brain tumor resection was performed, and histopathological diagnosis was meningioma and metastatic brain tumor. Metastatic cancer had invaded the meningioma at the boundary between the brain tumor and metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: A sudden change in imaging findings on routine examination of meningiomas in patients with lung carcinoma may indicate a metastatic brain tumor. The form of cancer metastasis to meningioma is not limited to tumor-to-tumor metastasis, but also includes metastasis infiltrating tumors near the meningioma.

Epidemiological Study of Metastatic Brain Tumors in Miyazaki Prefecture: A Regional 10-year Survey in Southern Japan.

Advances in cancer treatment have improved the survival of patients with cancer, with a concomitant increase in the proportion of patients with metastatic brain tumors (MBTs). In this study, we used cancer registries established in Japan after 2016 and available patient data by organ in order to conduct an accurate epidemiological study. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report on the detailed epidemiological data on MBT at the prefectural level in Japan using the Miyazaki Brain Tumor Database and Miyazaki Cancer Registry. This study included 425 new cases of MBTs diagnosed in Miyazaki Prefecture from 2007 to 2016. As per our findings, the most frequent primary tumor in Miyazaki Prefecture was found to be in the lung (49.4%), followed by colon/rectum/anus (9.4%) and breast (8.5%). Among patients with MBTs, 59.1% were males, a number closely similar to that of Japan, as shown in the Japanese Brain Tumor Registry (55.5%). The median age at diagnosis was 68 and 63 years in Miyazaki Prefecture and Japan, respectively. Although more patients were symptomatic in Miyazaki Prefecture than in Japan (88.5% vs. 15.5%), fewer patients opted for surgery (33.6% vs. 61.9%), probably because of their advanced age at diagnosis. As per the findings of this study, the annual incidence rate of new MBTs (i.e., ratio of the number of new cancer registrations to that of new MBT patients in Miyazaki Prefecture) was at 0.41%. The number of tumor sites in MBTs was independent of the total number of cancers per organ. Considering the expansion of cancer registries worldwide, including those on brain tumors, further epidemiological analysis of MBTs is deemed warranted.

Expression and distribution of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor in comparison between radiation necrosis and tumor tissue in metastatic brain tumor: A case report.

We report the case of a 70-year-old woman with metastatic brain tumors who underwent surgical removal of the tumor and radiation necrosis. The patient had a history of colon cancer and had undergone surgical removal of a left occipital tumor. Histopathological evaluation revealed a metastatic brain tumor. The tumor recurred six months after surgical removal, followed by whole-brain radiotherapy, and the patient underwent stereotactic radiosurgery. Six months later, the perifocal edema had increased, and the patient became symptomatic. The diagnosis was radiation necrosis and corticosteroids were initially effective. However, radiation necrosis became uncontrollable, and the patient underwent removal of necrotic tissue two years after stereotactic radiosurgery. Pathological findings predominantly showed necrotic tissue with some tumor cells. Since the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) were expressed around the necrotic tissue, the main cause of the edema was determined as radiation necrosis. Differences in the expression levels and distribution of HIF-1α and VEGF were observed between treatment-naïve and recurrent tumor tissue and radiation necrosis. This difference suggests the possibility of different mechanisms for edema formation due to the tumor itself and radiation necrosis. Although distinguishing radiation necrosis from recurrent tumors using MRI remains challenging, the pathophysiological mechanism of perifocal edema might be crucial for differentiating radiation necrosis from recurrent tumors.

Surgical Treatment for Metastatic Brain Tumor in the Cerebellar Hemisphere from Small-cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

We performed surgical treatment for cerebellar metastasis of relatively rare small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNC) of the urinary bladder. On preoperative imaging, the lesion was solitary, and the edema around the tumor was unremarkable; thus, other differential diagnoses besides a metastatic brain tumor were also considered preoperatively. Intraoperatively, the tumor was soft, and the circumference brain and boundary were indistinct and easily hemorrhagic. The tumor was grossly totally removed, and postoperative radiotherapy was added. The clinical symptoms of the patient were relieved, and he was discharged on foot. Thus far, relatively few reports have described surgical treatment of brain metastases of SCNC of the urinary bladder. We herein report a case of metastatic brain tumor due to SCNC of the urinary bladder that required surgical treatment, along with a review of the previous literature regarding its clinical features and the characteristics of intracranial lesions related to surgery, such as imaging and intraoperative findings.

RAI-measured frailty predicts non-home discharge following metastatic brain tumor resection: national inpatient sample analysis of 20,185 patients.

PURPOSE: Preoperative risk stratification for patients undergoing metastatic brain tumor resection (MBTR) is based on established tumor-, patient-, and disease-specific risk factors for outcome prognostication. Frailty, or decreased baseline physiologic reserve, is a demonstrated independent risk factor for adverse outcomes following MBTR. The present study sought to assess the impact of frailty, measured by the Risk Analysis Index (RAI), on MBTR outcomes. METHODS: All MBTR were queried from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2019 to 2020 using diagnosis and procedural codes. The relationship between preoperative RAI frailty score and our primary outcome - non-home discharge (NHD) - and secondary outcomes - complication rates, extended length of stay (eLOS), and mortality - were analyzed via univariate and multivariable analyses. Discriminatory accuracy was tested by computation of concordance statistics in area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: There were 20,185 MBTR patients from the NIS database from 2019 to 2020. Each patient's frailty status was stratified by RAI score: 0-20 (robust): 34%, 21-30 (normal): 35.1%, 31-40 (very frail): 13.9%, 41+ (severely frail): 16.8%. Compared to robust patients, severely frail patients demonstrated increased complication rates (12.2% vs. 6.8%, p < 0.001), eLOS (37.6% vs. 13.2%, p < 0.001), NHD (52.0% vs. 20.6%, p < 0.001), and mortality (9.9% vs. 4.1%, p < 0.001). AUROC curve analysis demonstrated good discriminatory accuracy of RAI-measured frailty in predicting NHD after MBTR (C-statistic = 0.67). CONCLUSION: Increasing RAI-measured frailty status is significantly associated with increased complication rates, eLOS, NHD, and mortality following MBTR. Preoperative frailty assessment using the RAI may aid in preoperative surgical planning and risk stratification for patient selection.

Hemorrhagic presentation of previously silent brain tumors / Presentación hemorrágica de tumores cerebrales anteriormente silenciosos

Introduction and objectives Acute presentation with intracranial hemorrhage owing to a previously silent brain tumor (BT) is rare. Although any BT can bleed, the frequency and type of bleeding varies across tumor types. Materials and methods We aimed to retrospectively review our experience with 55 patients with BTs presenting with ICH. Results Signs of increased intracranial pressure were the most common symptoms. The temporal lobe was the most common lesion site (n=22). Hemorrhages were mainly confined to the tumor margins (HCTs) (n=34). Extensive intraparenchymal hemorrhages (EIHs) were mainly associated with moderately/severely decreased levels of consciousness (LOCs) (n=15/16). High-grade glioma (HGGT) (n=25) was the leading pathological diagnosis followed by metastasis (MBT) (n=16/55). The hemorrhage type was associated with the pathological diagnosis of the tumor. Patients with HGGT (n=19/25) and MBT (n=9/16) mainly presented with HCTs, whereas low-grade gliomas (LGGT) primarily caused EIHs (n=6/7). Conclusions Hemorrhagic presentation is a rare occurrence in BTs. Among all, MBT and HGGT are responsible for majority of the cases. Importantly, despite their relatively benign characteristics, LGGTs mainly result in extensive parenchymal destruction once they bleed. Maximum surgical resection of hemorrhagic BTs and decompression of the affected brain regions followed by histological confirmation of the diagnosis should be the main goals of treatment in cases with hemorrhagic BTs (AU)

Introducción y objetivos La presentación aguda con hemorragia intracraneal debida a un tumor cerebral (BT) anteriormente silencioso es rara. A pesar de que cualquier BT puede sangrar, la frecuencia y el tipo de sangrado varían según el tipo de tumor. Materiales y métodos Nuestro objetivo fue reexaminar retrospectivamente nuestra experiencia con 55 pacientes con los BT que presentaban HIC. Resultados Los síntomas más comunes fueron signos de aumento de la presión intracraneal. El lóbulo temporal fue el sitio de lesión más común (n=22). Las hemorragias se limitaron especialmente a los márgenes tumorales (HCT) (n=34). Las hemorragias intraparenquimatosas extensas (HIE) se asociaron mayormente con niveles de conciencia moderada/severamente disminuidos (LOC) (n=15/16). El glioma de alto grado (HGGT) (n=25) fue el principal diagnóstico patológico después de la metástasis (MBT) (n=16/55). El tipo de hemorragia se asoció con el diagnóstico patológico del tumor. Los pacientes con HGGT (n=19/25) y MBT (n=9/16) presentaron mayormente con HCT, mientras que los gliomas de bajo grado (LGGT) causaron principalmente HIE (n=6/7). Conclusiones La presentación hemorrágica es una ocurrencia rara en los BT. Entre todos, MBT y HGGT son responsables de la mayoría de los casos. Más importante aún, pese a sus características relativamente benignas, los LGGT resultan mayormente una destrucción extensa del parénquima una vez que sangran. La resección quirúrgica máxima de BT hemorrágicos y la descompresión de las regiones cerebrales afectadas con la confirmación histológica del diagnóstico deben ser los objetivos principales del tratamiento en casos con BT hemorrágicos (AU)

Early tumor-related hemorrhage after stereotactic radiosurgery of brain metastases: Systematic review of reported cases.

OBJECTIVE: Early (within 72 h) tumor-related hemorrhage (TRH) after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of brain metastases (BM) has been reported only occasionally. Systematic review of such cases was done. METHODS: Literature search was performed through PubMed according to PRISMA guidelines using combination of the following medical subject headings: "hemorrhage," "stereotactic radiosurgery," and "brain metastasis." RESULTS: In total, 7 case reports and 8 clinical series, which noted early TRH after SRS of BM were identified. Scarce and inconsistent data precluded their precise synthesis and statistical analysis. BM of renal cell carcinoma comprised around one-third of reported cases. In 4 patients with multiple BM, TRH after SRS was noted simultaneously in several irradiated tumors. Considering 17 reported cases overall, in 3 patients TRH occurred during SRS session itself, in 4 within several minutes upon completion of treatment, in 7 within several hours thereafter, and in 3 on the third posttreatment day. Out of 11 reported cases providing detailed outcome, 6 patients died shortly after the ictus, 2 others were severely disabled at discharge, and 3 demonstrated good-to-moderate recovery. Overall, among evaluated series the median rates of early TRH after SRS for BM were 0.8% per patient (range, 0.4 - 1.9%) and 0.3% per tumor (range, 0.05 - 0.8%). CONCLUSION: Early TRH is very rare, but potentially life-threatening complication of SRS for BM; thus, its risk (while extremely low) and possible consequences should be discussed at the time of obtaining informed consent.

Performance of deep learning in classifying malignant primary and metastatic brain tumors using different MRI sequences: A medical analysis study.

BACKGROUND: Malignant Primary Brain Tumor (MPBT) and Metastatic Brain Tumor (MBT) are the most common types of brain tumors, which require different management approaches. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the most frequently used modality for assessing the presence of these tumors. The utilization of Deep Learning (DL) is expected to assist clinicians in classifying MPBT and MBT more effectively. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the influence of MRI sequences on the classification performance of DL techniques for distinguishing between MPBT and MBT and analyze the results from a medical perspective. METHODS: Total 1,360 images performed from 4 different MRI sequences were collected and preprocessed. VGG19 and ResNet101 models were trained and evaluated using consistent parameters. The performance of the models was assessed using accuracy, sensitivity, and other precision metrics based on a confusion matrix analysis. RESULTS: The ResNet101 model achieves the highest accuracy of 83% for MPBT classification, correctly identifying 90 out of 102 images. The VGG19 model achieves an accuracy of 81% for MBT classification, accurately classifying 86 out of 102 images. T2 sequence shows the highest sensitivity for MPBT, while T1C and T1 sequences exhibit the highest sensitivity for MBT. CONCLUSIONS: DL models, particularly ResNet101 and VGG19, demonstrate promising performance in classifying MPBT and MBT based on MRI images. The choice of MRI sequence can impact the sensitivity of tumor detection. These findings contribute to the advancement of DL-based brain tumor classification and its potential in improving patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency.

Methionine-PET to differentiate between brain lesions appearing similar on conventional CT/MRI scans.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: 11 C-Methionine (MET)-PET is a useful tool in neuro-oncology. This study aimed to examine whether a combination of diagnostic variables associated with MET uptake could help distinguish between brain lesions that are often difficult to discriminate in conventional CT and MRI. METHODS: MET-PET was assessed in 129 patients with glioblastoma multiforme, primary central nervous lymphoma, metastatic brain tumor, tumefactive multiple sclerosis, or radiation necrosis. The accuracy of the differential diagnosis was analyzed using five diagnostic characteristics in combination: higher maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) of MET in the lesion/the mean normal cortical SUV of MET ratio, overextension beyond gadolinium, peripheral pattern indicating abundant MET accumulation in the peripheral region, central pattern denoting abundant MET accumulation in the central region, and dynamic-up suggesting increased MET accumulation during dynamic study. The analysis was conducted on sets of two of the five brain lesions. RESULTS: Significant differences in the five diagnostic traits were observed among the five brain lesions, and differential diagnosis could be achieved by combining these diagnostic features. The area under the curve between each set of two of the five brain lesions using MET-PET features ranged from .85 to 1.0. CONCLUSIONS: According to the findings, combining the five diagnostic criteria could help with the differential diagnosis of the five brain lesions. MET-PET is an auxiliary diagnostic technique that could help in distinguishing these five brain lesions.

Brain metastasis of chondrosarcoma: A case report and literature review.

Brain metastases of a chondrosarcoma are extremely rare, and treatment remains controversial. A 54-year-old woman had undergone surgical treatment for a femoral chondrosarcoma and its lung metastases. She presented with visual disturbance and dizziness 22 months after the initial surgery; imaging studies of the brain revealed a metastatic tumor in the left parieto-occipital lobe. Surgical tumor resection was performed; however, only 2 months after gross total resection of the tumor, rapid tumor recurrence was observed. Surgical resection was performed again, followed by intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Three months later, another small brain lesion was detected in the right parietal lobe and was treated with gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery. No recurrence has been reported 20 months after this radiosurgery for brain metastasis. Thus, surgical treatment combined with several adequate radiation therapy sessions may be a viable treatment strategy for brain metastases of chondrosarcomas.

Hemorrhagic presentation of previously silent brain tumors.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Acute presentation with intracranial hemorrhage owing to a previously silent brain tumor (BT) is rare. Although any BT can bleed, the frequency and type of bleeding varies across tumor types. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We aimed to retrospectively review our experience with 55 patients with BTs presenting with ICH. RESULTS: Signs of increased intracranial pressure were the most common symptoms. The temporal lobe was the most common lesion site (n=22). Hemorrhages were mainly confined to the tumor margins (HCTs) (n=34). Extensive intraparenchymal hemorrhages (EIHs) were mainly associated with moderately/severely decreased levels of consciousness (LOCs) (n=15/16). High-grade glioma (HGGT) (n=25) was the leading pathological diagnosis followed by metastasis (MBT) (n=16/55). The hemorrhage type was associated with the pathological diagnosis of the tumor. Patients with HGGT (n=19/25) and MBT (n=9/16) mainly presented with HCTs, whereas low-grade gliomas (LGGT) primarily caused EIHs (n=6/7). CONCLUSIONS: Hemorrhagic presentation is a rare occurrence in BTs. Among all, MBT and HGGT are responsible for majority of the cases. Importantly, despite their relatively benign characteristics, LGGTs mainly result in extensive parenchymal destruction once they bleed. Maximum surgical resection of hemorrhagic BTs and decompression of the affected brain regions followed by histological confirmation of the diagnosis should be the main goals of treatment in cases with hemorrhagic BTs.

Possible association between minor head injury and intratumoral hemorrhage: A metastatic brain tumor from thyroid carcinoma.

A 78-year-old woman presented after a fall and injury in the left forehead. She had undergone surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma 14 years prior and breast carcinoma 7 years prior. The patient had exhibited uneventful postoperative courses without relapse or metastasis. Anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents were not prescribed her. At presentation, the patient exhibited no focal neurological deficits. Computed tomography revealed a 19 × 20 mm hemorrhagic lesion in the right temporal lobe. On cerebral magnetic resonance imaging, the center of the lesion exhibited inhomogeneous intensity on both T1- and T2-weighted sequences with heterogeneous enhancement. In contrast, the perilesional hemorrhagic regions, appearing hyperintense on both T1- and T2-weighted sequences, showed temporary regression followed by marked enlargement over the subsequent 123 days. The patient underwent total tumor resection. The microscopic findings of the resected specimens were consistent with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Minor head injuries may trigger intratumoral hemorrhage in metastatic brain tumors. Metastasis should be assumed when patients with a history of thyroid carcinoma present with a solitary parenchymal lesion with the appearance of cerebral cavernous malformation, even if they have been disease free for a long period.

Updates in intraoperative strategies for enhancing intra-axial brain tumor control.

To ensure excellent postoperative clinical outcomes while preserving critical neurologic function, neurosurgeons who manage patients with intra-axial brain tumors can use intraoperative technologies and tools to achieve maximal safe resection. Neurosurgical oncology revolves around safe and optimal extent of resection, which further dictates subsequent treatment regimens and patient outcomes. Various methods can be adapted for treating both primary and secondary intra-axial brain lesions. We present a review of recent advances and published research centered on different innovative tools and techniques, including fluorescence-guided surgery, new methods of drug delivery, and minimally invasive procedural options.

Solitary Leptomeningeal Metastasis from Lung Cancer: A Case Report.

Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) is a rare but devastating cancer complication. LM occurs when cancer spreads into the leptomeningeal layer or cerebrospinal fluid. Intracranial magnetic resonance (MR) images of LM are characterized by the diffuse enhancement of the leptomeninges along the cerebral sulci, cerebellar folia, and cranial nerves. Here, we report an extremely rare case of LM with an atypical MR image revealing tumor mass confinement to the arachnoid membrane. The case involves an 85-year-old man who was referred to our hospital with a three-day history of dysarthria. Radiological examination revealed a solid lesion with heterogeneous enhancement and a cystic component in the extra-axial region of the right parietal lobe. Upon subsequent general examination, multiple lung cancer metastases were suspected. The patient underwent gross total resection of the brain mass in the right parietal region. Although the tumor slightly adhered to the dura mater, it was sharply demarcated from the surrounding parenchyma and pia mater. Based on pathological examination, the tumor was diagnosed as small cell lung cancer metastasis. This metastatic brain tumor was exclusively confined to the arachnoid membrane and, except for a few blood vessels, the dura mater was not infiltrated by metastatic tumor cells. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of LM in which the tumor mass is confined only to the arachnoid membrane. Thus, in cases with atypical MR images, a general examination considering the possibility of LM is important for prompt and accurate diagnosis.

11C-methionine- and 18F-FDG-PET double-negative metastatic brain tumor from lung adenocarcinoma with paradoxical high 18F-FDG uptake: A case report.

Background: Imaging with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) and 11C-methionine (MET)-PET can delineate primary and metastatic brain tumors. Lesion size affects the sensitivity of both scans and histopathological features can also influence FDG-PET, but the effects on MET-PET have not been elucidated. Case Description: We report an unusual case of metastatic brain tumors without accumulation of FDG or MET, contrasting with high FDG uptake in the primary lung lesion. The brain lesions were identified as adenocarcinoma with a more mucus-rich background, contributing to the indistinct accumulation of both FDG and MET. Conclusion: Histopathological characteristics can affect both MET and FDG accumulation, leading to findings contradicting those of the primary lesion.

A case of radical resection for brain metastases of pancreatic cancer after curative chemotherapy for para-aortic lymph node metastases.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of brain metastasis of pancreatic cancer has been reported to be approximately 0.3%. The blood-brain barrier of the central nervous system restricts the transfer of substances, including chemotherapeutic agents, from the bloodstream. It is hypothesized that brain metastasis may occur despite successful chemotherapy for the primary tumor. Herein, we report a case of brain metastases of pancreatic cancer that occurred after chemotherapy and discuss relevant literature. CASE PRESENTATION: A 64-year-old man underwent distal pancreatectomy with D2 lymph node dissection for resectable pancreatic tail cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma of pancreas, pT3N2M0 pStageIII (TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors, UICC 8th edition) was diagnosed. S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy was initiated. Three months postoperatively, CA19-9 had increased to 619 U/mL. Additionally, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/CT revealed local recurrence in the para-aortic lymph nodes. Chemotherapy was revised to a combined regimen of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. After 4 cycles, tumor markers were normalized. After 5 cycles, recurrence could not be identified on contrast-enhanced CT; therefore, the patient was adjudged to be in complete remission. However, after 29 cycles of chemotherapy, the patient had symptoms of raised intracranial pressure. Magnetic resonance imaging showed two metastatic lesions of 20 mm and 32 mm in the left frontal lobe and cerebellum, respectively. Quasi-emergency resection of the metastatic brain tumors was performed. Pathological examination revealed that the resected specimens originated from primary pancreatic cancer. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 12, without any complications. Postoperatively, a total of 53 Gy of local brain radiation therapy was added. On postoperative day 30, blood carcinoembryonic antigen level had decreased to 5.4 ng/dl and all other tumor markers were negative. Additionally, tumor markers of the cerebrospinal fluid were markedly reduced and the cytology was negative for tumor cells. These results suggested complete resection of the metastatic brain tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive resection and salvage stereotactic radiotherapy for metastatic brain tumors may lead to complete cure and a good long-term prognosis.

Comparative associations of baseline frailty status and age with postoperative mortality and duration of hospital stay following metastatic brain tumor resection.

Metastatic brain tumors are the most common intracranial neoplasms diagnosed in the United States. Although baseline frailty status has been validated as a robust predictor of morbidity and mortality across various surgical disciplines, evidence within cranial neurosurgical oncology is limited. Adult metastatic brain tumor patients treated with resection were identified in the National Inpatient Sample during the period of 2015-2018. Frailty was quantified using the 11-point modified frailty index (mFI-11) and its association with clinical endpoints was evaluated through complex samples multivariable logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. Among 13,650 metastatic brain tumor patients identified (mean age 62.8 years), 26.8% (n = 3665) were robust (mFI = 0), 31.4% (n = 4660) were pre-frail (mFI = 1), 23.2% (n = 3165) were frail (mFI = 2), and 15.8% (n = 2160) were severely frail (mFI ≥ 3). On univariable assessment, these cohorts stratified by increasing frailty were significantly associated with postoperative complications (13.6%, 15.9%, 23.9%, 26.4%; p < 0.001), mortality (1.2%, 1.4%, 2.7%, 3.2%; p = 0.028), and extended length of stay (eLOS) (15.7%, 22.5%, 28.9%, 37.7%; p < 0.001). Following multivariable logistic regression analysis, frailty (by mFI-11) was independently associated with postoperative mortality (aOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.08, 1.65) and eLOS (aOR 1.26, 95% CI 1.17, 1.37), while increasing age was not associated with these endpoints. ROC curve analysis demonstrated superior discrimination of frailty (by mFI-11) in comparison with age for both mortality (AUC 0.61 vs. 0.58) and eLOS (AUC 0.61 vs. 0.53). Further statistical assessment through propensity score adjustment and decision tree analysis confirmed and extended the findings of the primary analytical models. Frailty may be a more robust predictor of postoperative outcomes in comparison with age following metastatic brain tumor resection.

Brain tumor-related epilepsy and risk factors for metastatic brain tumors: analysis of 601 consecutive cases providing real-world data.

OBJECTIVE: It is necessary to accurately characterize the epidemiology and trends of brain tumor-related epilepsy (BTE) in patients with metastatic brain tumors. This study aimed to determine the incidence of BTE associated with metastatic brain tumors and retrospectively investigate the risk factors for BTE. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 601 of 631 consecutive patients with metastatic brain tumors who received treatment, including surgery, radiotherapy, and/or other treatments. BTE and the clinical course were examined retrospectively. Logistic regression multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors for BTE. RESULTS: BTE was reported in 148 (24.6%) of 601 patients during the entire course. Of these 148 patients, 81 (54.7%) had first-onset epilepsy (13.5% of all patients). Of the 520 cases of nonepileptic onset, 53 were in the prophylactic antiepileptic drug (AED) group. However, 12 of these patients and 55 of the no-prophylactic AED group developed epilepsy during the course of the study. Including these 67 patients, 148 patients were examined as the group of all epilepsy cases during the entire course. In 3 patients, the seizure progressed to status epilepticus. In most patients, the BTE (n = 83, 56.1%) manifested as focal aware seizures. Logistic regression analysis identified young age (p = 0.037), male sex (p = 0.026), breast cancer (p = 0.001), eloquent area (p < 0.001), peritumoral edema (p < 0.001), dissemination (p = 0.013), and maximum tumor volume (p = 0.021) as significant risk factors for BTE. BTE was more common with tumor volumes greater than the cutoff value of 1.92 ml. CONCLUSIONS: BTE appears to be more likely to occur in cases with young age, male sex, breast cancer, tumors involving eloquent areas, brain edema, dissemination, and giant tumors.