title: Evaluation and management of brain metastatic patients with high-risk gestational trophoblastic tumors.
abstract: A retrospective study to evaluate the characteristics of brain metastatic patients with gestational trophoblastic tumors (GTT) and to analyze the results of treatment has been performed. During 1996-2001, 40 patients with metastatic GTT were diagnosed at Vali-e-Asr Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Of them, nine with brain metastases, which were documented with the help of computed tomography scan, were evaluated retrospectively. Eight patients received EMA-EP regimen (etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin, etoposide, and cisplatinum) and one received EMA-CO (etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristin). All cases received whole brain irradiation therapy concurrently. The median age of the patients at diagnosis was 30 years (range: 17-53). Six of them were of early group (five with symptoms of central nervous system and one was detected during workup) and three were of late group (relapsed group). Five (56%) patients responded to treatment and four (44%) were deceased (three of them belonged to late group). It seems that multi-agent chemotherapy (EMA-EP) concurrently with whole brain irradiation results in acceptable survival rates in GTT patients with brain metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Oncology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ftghaemmagh@yahoo.com
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghaemmaghami
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Behtash
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Memarpour
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hanjani
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Hashemi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016371:Cranial Irradiation; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D031901:Gestational Trophoblastic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D003609:Dactinomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002945:Cisplatin; D008727:Methotrexate