title: Changes in the management and outcome of central nervous system involvement from ovarian cancer since 1994.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify differences in the management and outcome of patients with central nervous system metastases from epithelial ovarian cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical and pathologic characteristics, treatment, and outcome of 23 patients with brain metastases from epithelial ovarian cancer who were treated during 1982-1994 were compared with those of 20 patients treated during 1995-2010 at the same center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences were found in terms of primary tumor characteristics, time interval from ovarian cancer diagnosis to brain involvement diagnosis, sites of metastasis, and presence of extracranial disease. The main difference between the 2 groups was the therapeutic approach. During 1982-1994, most patients received radiotherapy only, whereas most patients during 1995-2010 underwent surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The duration of survival during 1982-1994 was 5 months, which was significantly shorter than the duration of survival (18 months) during 1995-2010.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An aggressive multimodal treatment approach might prolong the survival of patients with brain involvement from ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology, Gynecologic Oncology Unit, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. n.cormio@gynecology2.uniba.it
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cormio
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Loizzi
authors.forename: Maddalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falagario
authors.forename: Andrea A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lissoni
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Resta
authors.forename: Luigi E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Selvaggi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome