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Avino A, Ion DE, Gheoca-Mutu DE, Abu-Baker A, Țigăran AE, Peligrad T, Hariga CS, Balcangiu-Stroescu AE, Jecan CR, Tudor A, Răducu L. Diagnostic and Therapeutic Particularities of Symptomatic Melanoma Brain Metastases from Case Report to Literature Review. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:688. [PMID: 38611601 PMCID: PMC11011469 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14070688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The recent introduction of immunotherapy and targeted therapy has substantially enriched the therapeutic landscape of metastatic melanoma. However, cerebral metastases remain unrelenting entities with atypical metabolic and genetic profiles compared to extracranial metastases, requiring combined approaches with local ablative treatment to alleviate symptoms, prevent recurrence and restore patients' biological and psychological resources for fighting malignancy. This paper aims to provide the latest scientific evidence about the rationale and timing of treatment, emphasizing the complementary roles of surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic therapy in eradicating brain metastases, with a special focus on the distinct response of intracranial and extracranial disease, which are regarded as separate molecular entities. To illustrate the complexity of designing individualized therapeutic schemes, we report a case of delayed BRAF-mutant diagnosis, an aggressive forearm melanoma, in a presumed psychiatric patient whose symptoms were caused by cerebral melanoma metastases. The decision to administer molecularly targeted therapy was dictated by the urgency of diminishing the tumor burden for symptom control, due to potentially life-threatening complications caused by the flourishing of extracranial disease in locations rarely reported in living patients, further proving the necessity of multidisciplinary management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelaida Avino
- Discipline of Plastic Surgery, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (A.A.); (C.-R.J.); (L.R.)
- Doctoral School, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, ‘Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu’ Clinical Emergency Hospital, 011356 Bucharest, Romania; (D.-E.G.-M.); (A.-E.Ț.); (T.P.)
| | - Daniela-Elena Ion
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, ‘Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu’ Clinical Emergency Hospital, 011356 Bucharest, Romania; (D.-E.G.-M.); (A.-E.Ț.); (T.P.)
| | - Daniela-Elena Gheoca-Mutu
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, ‘Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu’ Clinical Emergency Hospital, 011356 Bucharest, Romania; (D.-E.G.-M.); (A.-E.Ț.); (T.P.)
- Discipline of Anatomy, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Abdalah Abu-Baker
- Doctoral School, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, ‘Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu’ Clinical Emergency Hospital, 011356 Bucharest, Romania; (D.-E.G.-M.); (A.-E.Ț.); (T.P.)
| | - Andrada-Elena Țigăran
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, ‘Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu’ Clinical Emergency Hospital, 011356 Bucharest, Romania; (D.-E.G.-M.); (A.-E.Ț.); (T.P.)
| | - Teodora Peligrad
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, ‘Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu’ Clinical Emergency Hospital, 011356 Bucharest, Romania; (D.-E.G.-M.); (A.-E.Ț.); (T.P.)
| | - Cristian-Sorin Hariga
- Discipline of Plastic Surgery, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (A.A.); (C.-R.J.); (L.R.)
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest, 014461 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Andra-Elena Balcangiu-Stroescu
- Discipline of Physiology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Cristian-Radu Jecan
- Discipline of Plastic Surgery, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (A.A.); (C.-R.J.); (L.R.)
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, ‘Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu’ Clinical Emergency Hospital, 011356 Bucharest, Romania; (D.-E.G.-M.); (A.-E.Ț.); (T.P.)
| | - Adrian Tudor
- Discipline of Anatomy and Embriology, University of Medicine, Sciences and Technology “George Emil Palade”, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania;
- Department of General Surgery I, Targu Mures Emergency Clinical Hospital, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania
| | - Laura Răducu
- Discipline of Plastic Surgery, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (A.A.); (C.-R.J.); (L.R.)
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, ‘Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu’ Clinical Emergency Hospital, 011356 Bucharest, Romania; (D.-E.G.-M.); (A.-E.Ț.); (T.P.)
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