Brain metastases from epithelial ovarian cancer: a review of the literature.
BACKGROUND
Brain metastases from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) are rare. This report is based on a review of the literature.


RESULTS
This review summarizes the incidence, clinical features, pathophysiology, and diagnostic evaluation of EOC. The section on current treatment includes a thorough evaluation of the literature, highlights controversies over treatment options, and provides insight into novel approaches. Current treatment options include surgical resection, whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT), stereotactic radiosurgery, and chemotherapy. Corticosteroids and anticonvulsant medications are commonly used for the palliation of mass effects and seizures, respectively. In the reviewed series, a better outcome was seen following surgical resection and WBRT with or without chemotherapy for solitary and resectable brain metastases.


CONCLUSIONS
The prognosis for patients with brain metastases from EOC is poor. A better outcome might be obtained using multimodality therapy. Because of the small number of patients included in the reported studies, multicenter clinical trials are needed for further investigation in order to critically evaluate the clear benefit of these treatment options in selected patients.
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Propaedeutic, Oncology Section, Attikon University Hospital, 1 Rimini St, Haidari, Athens, Greece. pectasid@otenet.gr
Dimitrios
D
Pectasides
Melina
M
Pectasides
Theofanis
T
Economopoulos
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016634:Radiosurgery; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones