title: Brain metastases in relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer after chemotherapy with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain metastases in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) occur rarely and are associated with a poor prognosis. No significant risk factors have been identified and no evidence-based treatment guidelines are currently available.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 56-year-old EOC patient presented with seizure at the Emergency Department eleven days after completion of fourth-line chemotherapy with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD). A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed multiple metastases. The patient received radiotherapy with a total dose of 30.8 Gy and 8 cycles of paclitaxel resulting in stable disease. Based on the current literature, treatment options are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapeutic options for brain metastases include radiation, systemic or intrathecal chemotherapy, surgery or a combination regime. Since the effectiveness of systemic chemotherapy remains controversial, current research focuses on developing new anticancer drugs that penetrate the blood-brain barrier in order to prevent and/or treat brain metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Charité, Campus Virchow-Clinic, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nikola Serena
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Kasprowicz
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fotopoulou
authors.forename: Gülten
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oskay-Ozcelik
authors.forename: Khalfaoui Khalid
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: El
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boehmer
authors.forename: Jalid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sehouli
mesh_terms: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; C506643:liposomal doxorubicin; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D004317:Doxorubicin