title: Meningeal carcinomatosis from an ovarian primary with complete response to adjuvant chemotherapy after cranial irradiation.
abstract: Meningeal metastasis is rare in the clinical course of ovarian carcinoma, and its prognosis is poor. Meningeal dissemination of carcinoma is usually treated by intrathecal administration of methotrexate and total brain irradiation, although these treatments are usually ineffective. We experienced a case of meningeal relapse from ovarian carcinoma resistant to multiple antineoplastic agents in a 64-year-old woman who was treated with eight different chemotherapy regimens after her initial operation 7 years previously. Intrathecal administrations of methotrexate or cisplatin with dexamethasone were not effective. Fifty-Gy whole cranial irradiation inhibited increases in serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 125 levels and further tumor growth. Adjuvant chemotherapy was required to alleviate frequent headaches and to decrease serum CA125 level and tumor size. Intravenous administration of 45 mg paclitaxel and 35 mg cisplatin, and oral administration of 50 mg etoposide were carried out for 5 days. This treatment was repeated every 3 weeks. After four courses of treatment, meningeal carcinomatosis was not detectable on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The patient's serum levels of CA125 rapidly fell to beneath normal limits and remained normal. She is still alive and clinically free of recurrence 4 months after the last cycle of chemotherapy. As well as reporting our experience with this case, we also present a review of the literature on meningeal carcinomatosis from ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Hokkaido Prefectural Sapporo Kitano Hospital, 4-5-5-40 Kitano, Kiyota-ku, Sapporo 004-0864, Japan. hi-ohta@ma.kcom.ne.jp
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yonesaka
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin