title: Innovative therapy for patients with brain metastases: oral treatments.
abstract: About 40% of patients with advanced cancer develop metastases in the central nervous system (CNS), mainly from primary tumors of lung, breast and melanoma. In most of cases there are multiple CNS metastases, making surgery or localized radiosurgery not feasible. The current standard of care for these patients is radiation therapy, which can improve neurologic symptoms but does not have any impact on the patient's overall survival. Temozolomide, capecitabine and gefitinib are safe and active in the treatment of CNS metastases from melanoma/recurrent gliomas, breast carcinoma and lung cancer, respectively. New, orally administered drugs hold a great potential for patients with CNS metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology-Hematology, Santa Maria delle Croci Hospital, Ravenna, Italy. barbakopf1@hotmail.com
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kopf
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: De Giorgi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zago
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carminati
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marangolo
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077204:Temozolomide
chemical_list: D011799:Quinazolines; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D000077156:Gefitinib; D005472:Fluorouracil; D000077204:Temozolomide