Gamma Knife surgery for the treatment of melanoma metastases: the effect of intratumoral hemorrhage on survival

Should we be afraid of radiotherapy for hemorrhagic brain metastases? A narrative review

Brain metastases (BM) are the most common intracranial malignancies. They are responsible for death as well as impairment of quality of life and cognitive function. In some cases, BMs can cause intracranial hemorrhage, which is not only responsible for the acute onset of either a new focal neurological deficit or worsening of a preexisting focal deficit but also poses a new challenge in treatment planning and clinical management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the available treatment modalities and their efficacy in hemorrhagic brain metastases (HBMs) with special attention to radiotherapy. In this review, we searched PubMed, BMJ, NCBI, Springer, BMC Cancer, Cochrane, and Google Scholar for articles containing data on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with HBMs, excluding the pediatric population. Treatment strategies consist of neurosurgery, whole brain radiotherapy, and stereotactic techniques (fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery (fSRS)/stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)). Although the optimal treatment strategy for HBMs has not been established, we found no convincing evidence that radiotherapy, especially fSRS/SRS, is contraindicated in HBMs. We concluded that fSRS/SRS is a promising option for patients with HBM, particularly when surgical intervention poses risks.

Early tumor-related hemorrhage after stereotactic radiosurgery of brain metastases: Systematic review of reported cases

OBJECTIVE

Early (within 72 h) tumor-related hemorrhage (TRH) after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of brain metastases (BM) has been reported only occasionally. Systematic review of such cases was done.

METHODS

Literature search was performed through PubMed according to PRISMA guidelines using combination of the following medical subject headings: "hemorrhage," "stereotactic radiosurgery," and "brain metastasis."

RESULTS

In total, 7 case reports and 8 clinical series, which noted early TRH after SRS of BM were identified. Scarce and inconsistent data precluded their precise synthesis and statistical analysis. BM of renal cell carcinoma comprised around one-third of reported cases. In 4 patients with multiple BM, TRH after SRS was noted simultaneously in several irradiated tumors. Considering 17 reported cases overall, in 3 patients TRH occurred during SRS session itself, in 4 within several minutes upon completion of treatment, in 7 within several hours thereafter, and in 3 on the third posttreatment day. Out of 11 reported cases providing detailed outcome, 6 patients died shortly after the ictus, 2 others were severely disabled at discharge, and 3 demonstrated good-to-moderate recovery. Overall, among evaluated series the median rates of early TRH after SRS for BM were 0.8% per patient (range, 0.4 - 1.9%) and 0.3% per tumor (range, 0.05 - 0.8%).

CONCLUSION

Early TRH is very rare, but potentially life-threatening complication of SRS for BM; thus, its risk (while extremely low) and possible consequences should be discussed at the time of obtaining informed consent.

Associated Factors of Spontaneous Hemorrhage in Brain Metastases in Patients with Lung Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hemorrhage in brain metastases (BMs) from lung cancer is common and associated with a poor prognosis. Research on associated factors of spontaneous hemorrhage in patients with BMs is limited. This study aimed to investigate the predictive risk factors for BM hemorrhage and assess whether hemorrhage affects patient survival.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 159 BMs from 80 patients with lung adenocarcinoma from January 2017 to May 2022. Patients were classified into hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic groups. Patient demographics, lung cancer molecular subtype, treatment type, and tumor-node-metastasis stage were compared between the groups. Multivariate generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis and gradient boosting were performed. To determine whether BM hemorrhage can stratify overall survival after BM (OSBM), univariate survival analysis was performed.

RESULTS

In the univariate analysis, hemorrhagic BMs were significantly larger and had a history of receiving combination therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and intracranial radiation (p < 0.05). Multivariate GEE showed that tumor size and combination therapy were independent risk factors for BM hemorrhage (p < 0.05). Gradient boosting demonstrated that the strongest predictor of BM hemorrhage was tumor size (variable importance: 49.83), followed by age (16.65) and TKI combined with intracranial radiation (13.81). There was no significant difference in OSBM between the two groups (p = 0.33).

CONCLUSIONS

Hemorrhage in BMs from lung adenocarcinomas may be associated with BM tumor size and a combination of TKI and intracranial radiotherapy. BM hemorrhage did not affect OSBM.

RT-based combination therapy for brain metastasis from NSCLC with non-EGFR mutation/ALK gene rearrangement: A network meta-analysis

Introduction

Radiotherapy (RT) is currently the main treatment for brain metastases (BMs) from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Due to the short survival time and obvious adverse reactions of RT, we urgently need more appropriate treatment. This network meta-analysis reviewed the efficacy and adverse effects of radiotherapy-based combination therapy for patients without targeted epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations/anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement NSCLC BMs, to screen out the therapy with the best efficacy.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched from the earliest publication date available to 1 April 2022. STATA15.0 was used to conduct heterogeneity analysis, sensitivity analysis, forest plot analysis, and publication bias analysis.

Results

A total of 28 studies, involving 3707 patients were included in the Bayesian network meta-analysis. In the limited paired meta-analysis for head-to-head comparative trials, compared with RT-based combination therapy, RT combined with Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) showed significant overall survival (OS) benefit (HR 0.65, 95%CI 0.47–0.9, p&lt;0.01), RT combined with ICIs showed a non-significant difference for intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS) (HR 0.76, 95%CI 0.27–2.27, p&lt;0.01) and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR 0.9, 95%CI 0.36–2.37, p&lt;0.01). In addition, according to the ranking results, compared with RT combined with chemotherapy(CT) or with targeted therapy(TT), RT combined with ICIs might be the best treatment mode for OS(ICIs+RT vs CT+RT vs TT+RT; 91.9% vs. 27.8% vs. 29.3%, iPFS (ICIs+RT vs CT+RT vs TT+RT, 46.9% vs 25.2% vs 25.6%) and PFS (ICIs+RT vs CT+RT vs TT+RT, 36.2% vs 31% vs 36.5%).

Conclusions

RT combined with ICIs might be the best treatment mode to prolong the OS for BMs from NSCLC with non-EGFR mutation/ALK gene rearrangement.

Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022350065, identifier (CRD42022350065)

Factors associated with progression and mortality among patients undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery for intracranial metastasis: results from a national real-world registry

OBJECTIVE

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been increasingly employed in recent years to treat intracranial metastatic lesions. However, there is still a need for optimization of treatment paradigms to provide better local control and prevent progressive intracranial disease. In the current study, the authors utilized a national collaborative registry to investigate the outcomes of patients with intracranial metastatic disease who underwent SRS and to determine factors associated with lesion treatment response, overall progression, and mortality.

METHODS

The NeuroPoint Alliance SRS registry was queried for all patients with intracranial metastatic lesions undergoing single- or multifraction SRS at participating institutions between 2016 and 2020. The main outcomes of interest included lesion response (lesion-level analysis), progression using Response Assessment for Neuro-Oncology criteria, and mortality (patient-level analysis). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to report time to progression and overall survival, and multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to investigate factors associated with lesion response, progression, and mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 501 patients (1447 intracranial metastatic lesions) who underwent SRS and had available follow-up were included in the current analyses. The most common primary tumor was lung cancer (49.5%, n = 248), followed by breast (15.4%, n = 77) and melanoma (12.2%, n = 61). Most patients had a single lesion (44.9%, n = 225), 29.3% (n = 147) had 2 or 3 lesions, and 25.7% (n = 129) had > 3 lesions. The mean sum of baseline measurements of the lesions according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) was 35.54 mm (SD 25.94). At follow-up, 671 lesions (46.4%) had a complete response, 631 (43.6%) had a partial response (≥ 30% decrease in longest diameter) or were stable (< 30% decrease but < 20% increase), and 145 (10%) showed progression (> 20% increase in longest diameter). On multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis, melanoma-associated lesions (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.34-0.67; p < 0.001) and larger lesion size (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.93-0.96; p < 0.001) showed lower odds of lesion regression, while a higher biologically effective dose was associated with higher odds (HR 1.001, 95% CI 1.0001-1.00023; p < 0.001). A total of 237 patients (47.3%) had overall progression (local failure or intracranial progressive disease), with a median time to progression of 10.03 months after the index SRS. Factors found to be associated with increased hazards of progression included male sex (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.108-1.99; p = 0.008), while administration of immunotherapy (before or after SRS) was found to be associated with lower hazards of overall progression (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.460-0.85; p = 0.003). A total of 121 patients (23.95%) died during the follow-up period, with a median survival of 19.4 months from the time of initial SRS. A higher recursive partitioning analysis score (HR 21.3485, 95% CI 1.53202-3.6285; p < 0.001) was found to be associated with higher hazards of mortality, while single-fraction treatment compared with hypofractionated treatment (HR 0.082, 95% CI 0.011-0.61; p = 0.015), administration of immunotherapy (HR 0.385, 95% CI 0.233-0.64; p < 0.001), and presence of single compared with > 3 lesions (HR 0.427, 95% CI 0.187-0.98; p = 0.044) were found to be associated with lower risk of mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The comparability of results between this study and those of previously published clinical trials affirms the value of multicenter databases with real-world data collected without predetermined research purpose.

Radiation therapy for melanoma brain metastases: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Radiation therapy (RT) for melanoma brain metastases, delivered either as whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) or as stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), is an established component of treatment for this condition. However, evidence allowing comparison of the outcomes, advantages and disadvantages of the two RT modalities is scant, with very few randomised controlled trials having been conducted. This has led to considerable uncertainty and inconsistent guideline recommendations. The present systematic review identified 112 studies reporting outcomes for patients with melanoma brain metastases treated with RT. Three were randomised controlled trials but only one was of sufficient size to be considered informative. Most of the evidence was from non-randomised studies, either specific treatment series or disease cohorts. Criteria for determining treatment choice were reported in only 32 studies and the quality of these studies was variable. From the time of diagnosis of brain metastasis, the median survival after WBRT alone was 3.5 months (IQR 2.4-4.0 months) and for SRS alone it was 7.5 months (IQR 6.7-9.0 months). Overall patient survival increased over time (pre-1989 to 2015) but this was not apparent within specific treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS

These survival estimates provide a baseline for determining the incremental benefits of recently introduced systemic treatments using targeted therapy or immunotherapy for melanoma brain metastases.

Factors Associated with Hemorrhage of Melanoma Brain Metastases after Stereotactic Radiosurgery in the Era of Targeted/Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapies

Simple Summary

Melanoma brain metastases (MBM) have a high propensity for hemorrhage (HA) after treatment. Our retrospective analysis evaluated factors associated with HA of MBM after robotic stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the era of modern systemic therapy, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study focusing on this side effect. A total of 55 patients with 279 MBM were treated. The use of anticoagulants was the only predictive factor, both for radiologically evident HA and HA causing grade 3 toxicity. The interval between the administration of systemic therapy and SRS was also significant with regard to HA causing grade 1 toxicity, but it appears that the combination was safe, at least concerning grade 3 toxicity. We believe that our study is a useful contribution to the current literature, as it provides insights regarding the factors that correlate with HA.

Abstract

We aimed to evaluate the factors associated with hemorrhage (HA) of melanoma brain metastases (MBM) after Cyberknife stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the modern era of systemic therapy. A total of 55 patients with 279 MBM were treated in 93 fractions. The median age, SRS dose, radiological follow-up, and time to HA were 60.4 years, 20 Gy, 17.7 months, and 10.7 months, respectively. Radiologically evident HA was documented in 47 (16.8%) metastases. Of the 55 patients, 25 (45.4%) suffered an HA. Among those, HA caused grade 3 toxicity in 10 patients (40%) and grade 1 symptoms in 5 patients (20%). Ten patients (40%) with HA experienced no toxicity. Logistic regression revealed the use of anticoagulants and the administration of systemic therapy within 7/15 days from SRS to be predictive for HA. When considering the HA causing grade 3 symptomatology, only the use of anticoagulants was significant, with the delivery of whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) before the HA narrowly missing statistical significance. Our retrospective analysis showed that the administration of modern systemic therapy within 7/15 days from SRS may contribute to HA of MBM, though it appears safe, at least concerning grade 3 toxicity. The use of anticoagulants by the time of SRS significantly increased the risk of HA.

A 41-Year-Old Woman with a Late Cerebral Metastasis 16 Years After an Initial Diagnosis of Cutaneous Melanoma

Patient: Female, 41-year-old

Final Diagnosis: Melanoma brain metastasis

Symptoms: Intrercranial hemorraghe

Medication:—

Clinical Procedure: —

Specialty: Neurosurgery

Intracranial Hemorrhage in Patients with Anticoagulant Therapy Undergoing Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases: A Bi-Institutional Analysis

Background: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a well-established treatment modality for brain metastases (BM). Given the manifold implications of metastatic cancer on the body, affected patients have an increased risk of comorbidities, such as atrial fibrillation (AF) and venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep-vein thrombosis (DVT). These may require therapeutic anticoagulant therapy (ACT). Limited data are available on the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) after SRS for patients with BM who are receiving ACT. This bi-institutional analysis aimed to describe the bleeding risk for this patient subgroup. Methods: Patients with ACT at the time of single-fraction SRS for BM from two institutions were eligible for analysis. The cumulative incidence of ICH with death as a competing event was assessed during follow-up with magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography. Results: Forty-one patients with 97 BM were included in the analyses. The median follow-up was 8.2 months (range: 1.7–77.5 months). The median and mean BM volumes were 0.47 and 1.19 cubic centimeters, respectively. The most common reasons for ACT were PE (41%), AF (34%), and DVT (7%). The ACT was mostly performed utilizing phenprocoumon (37%), novel oral anticoagulants (32%), or low-molecular-weight heparin (20%). Nine BM from a group of five patients with ICH after SRS were identified: none of them caused neurological or any other deficits. The 6-, 12-, and 18-month cumulative bleeding incidences per metastasis were 2.1%, 12.4%, and 12.4%, respectively. The metastases with previous bleeding events and those originating from malignant melanomas were found to more frequently demonstrate ICH after SRS (p = 0.02, p = 0.01). No surgical or medical intervention was necessary for ICH management, and no observed death was associated with an ICH. Conclusion: Patients receiving an ACT and single-fraction SRS for small- to medium-sized BM did not seem to have a clinically relevant risk of ICH. Previous bleeding and metastases originating from a malignant melanoma may favor bleeding events after SRS. Further studies are needed to validate our reported findings.

Clinico-radiological features of brain metastases from thyroid cancer

The brain is an unusual site for distant metastases of thyroid cancer. The radiological features of brain metastases (BMs) have rarely been reported. Hemorrhage is frequently noted in BMs from thyroid cancer. This study aimed to investigate the clinico-radiological features of BMs from thyroid cancer and to determine the risk factors to predict BM hemorrhage.We retrospectively evaluated the MR images of 35 patients with BMs from thyroid cancer at our hospital from 2013 to 2020. The number, size, site, presence of extra-cranial metastasis, presence of perilesional edema, intra-tumoral hemorrhage, enhancement pattern, and presence of diffusion restriction on MRI were described. We further classified the thyroid cancers into hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic groups to investigate the factors associated with hemorrhage.54.29% of patients with thyroid BMs (19/35) had neurologic symptoms. 94.29% of patients (33/35) had extra-cranial metastases. The most common histology of primary thyroid cancer was papillary thyroid cancer (71.43%, 25/35), followed by anaplastic thyroid cancer (22.86%, 8/35). Thyroid cancer BMs were located mostly in the supra-tentorium (51.43%, 18/35) or both the supra and infra-tentorium (45.71%, 16/35). 60% of patients (21/35) showed hemorrhage within the BMs. The strongest predictor for BM hemorrhage was tumor size (variable importance: 50).Thyroid cancer BMs exhibit a bleeding tendency. Furthermore, larger BMs are more likely to have an intra-tumoral hemorrhage.

Clinical outcomes for pediatric patients receiving radiotherapy for solid tumor central nervous system metastases

Central nervous system (CNS) metastases are rare, but devastating complications of pediatric solid tumors. Radiotherapy alone or postresection serves as an important treatment; however, data on the use of whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) versus focal radiotherapy, including stereotactic radiosurgery or stereotactic radiotherapy, for these indications are limited. We report a single institution experience of 26 pediatric patients treated with radiotherapy for solid tumor CNS metastases without leptomeningeal disease. Focal radiotherapy (n = 10) was well tolerated and survival outcomes did not differ between patients treated with WBRT (n = 16) versus focal radiation, suggesting that focal radiotherapy may be considered for patients with limited CNS metastases.

Preoperative Metastatic Brain Tumor-Associated Intracerebral Hemorrhage Is Associated With Dismal Prognosis

Object

Intra-tumoral hemorrhage is considered an imaging characteristic of advanced cancer disease. However, data on the influence of intra-tumoral hemorrhage in patients with brain metastases (BM) remains scarce. We aimed at investigating patients with BM who underwent neurosurgical resection of the metastatic lesion for a potential impact of preoperative hemorrhagic transformation on overall survival (OS).

Methods

Between 2013 and 2018, 357 patients with BM were surgically treated at the authors’ neuro-oncological center. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations were assessed for the occurrence of malignant hemorrhagic transformation.

Results

122 of 375 patients (34%) with BM revealed preoperative intra-tumoral hemorrhage. Patients with hemorrhagic transformed BM exhibited a median OS of 5 months compared to 12 months for patients without intra-tumoral hemorrhage. Multivariate analysis revealed preoperative hemorrhagic transformation as an independent and significant predictor for worsened OS.

Conclusions

The present study identifies preoperative intra-tumoral hemorrhage as an indicator variable for poor prognosis in patients with BM undergoing neurosurgical treatment.

Enhancement of Radiosurgical Treatment Outcome Prediction Using MRI Radiomics in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Brain Metastases

Simple Summary

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common cause of brain metastasis (BM). Approximately 50% of patients with metastatic NSCLC harbor BMs. Within the past decade, Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has become one of the first-line treatments for BMs. Ability to predict treatment response after GKRS can therefore guide treatment strategy. This study aimed to determine whether pre-radiosurgical neuroimaging radiomics can predict survival and local tumor control after GKRS. Based on the collected magnetic resonance images and clinical characteristics of the 237 NSCLC BM patients with BMs (for survival prediction) and 256 NSCLC patients with 976 BMs (for prediction of local tumor control), we concluded that the identified radiomic features could provide valuable additional information to enhance the prediction of BM responses after GKRS. The proposed approach provided physicians with an intuitive way to predict the patient outcome based on pre-radiosurgical magnetic resonance images.

Abstract

The diagnosis of brain metastasis (BM) is commonly observed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with poor outcomes. Accordingly, developing an approach to early predict BM response to Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) may benefit the patient treatment and monitoring. A total of 237 NSCLC patients with BMs (for survival prediction) and 256 patients with 976 BMs (for prediction of local tumor control) treated with GKRS were retrospectively analyzed. All the survival data were recorded without censoring, and the status of local tumor control was determined by comparing the last MRI follow-up in patients’ lives with the pre-GKRS MRI. Overall 1763 radiomic features were extracted from pre-radiosurgical magnetic resonance images. Three prediction models were constructed, using (1) clinical data, (2) radiomic features, and (3) clinical and radiomic features. Support vector machines with a 30% hold-out validation approach were constructed. For treatment outcome predictions, the models derived from both the clinical and radiomics data achieved the best results. For local tumor control, the combined model achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.95, an accuracy of 90%, a sensitivity of 91%, and a specificity of 89%. For patient survival, the combined model achieved an AUC of 0.81, an accuracy of 77%, a sensitivity of 78%, and a specificity of 80%. The pre-radiosurgical radiomics data enhanced the performance of local tumor control and survival prediction models in NSCLC patients with BMs treated with GRKS. An outcome prediction model based on radiomics combined with clinical features may guide therapy in these patients.

Combination of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Anti-Angiogenic Agents in Brain Metastases From Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Brain metastases remain a critical issue in the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) because of the high frequency and poor prognosis, with survival rates often measured in just months. The local treatment approach remains the current standard of care, but management of multiple asymptomatic brain metastases always involves systemic therapy. Given that anti-angiogenic agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) both target the tumor microenvironment (TME), this combination therapy has become a promising strategy in clinical practice. Increasing number of preclinical and clinical studies have shown remarkable anti-tumor activity of the combination therapy, but the efficacy in brain metastases is unclear due to the strict selection criteria adopted in most clinical trials. This review briefly summarizes the potential synergistic anti-tumor effect and clinical development of the combination of anti-angiogenic agents and ICIs in NSCLC brain metastases, and discusses the existing challenges and problems.

MRI characteristics in treatment for cerebral melanoma metastasis using stereotactic radiosurgery and concomitant checkpoint inhibitors or targeted therapeutics

Introduction

Combination therapy for melanoma brain metastases (MM) using stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and immune checkpoint-inhibition (ICI) or targeted therapy (TT) is currently of high interest. In this collective, time evolution and incidence of imaging findings indicative of pseudoprogression is sparsely researched. We therefore investigated time-course of MRI characteristics in these patients.

Methods

Data were obtained retrospectively from 27 patients (12 female, 15 male; mean 61 years, total of 169 MMs). Single lesion volumes, total MM burden and edema volumes were analyzed at baseline and follow-up MRIs in 2 months intervals after SRS up to 24 months. The occurrence of intralesional hemorrhages was recorded.

Results

17 patients (80 MM) received ICI, 8 (62 MM) TT and 2 (27 MM) ICI + TT concomitantly to SRS. MM-localization was frontal (n = 89), temporal (n = 23), parietal (n = 20), occipital (n = 10), basal ganglia/thalamus/insula (n = 10) and cerebellar (n = 10). A volumetric progression of MM 2–4 months after SRS was observed in combined treatment with ICI (p = 0.028) and ICI + TT (p = 0.043), whereas MMs treated with TT showed an early volumetric regression (p = 0.004). Edema volumes moderately correlated with total MM volumes (r = 0.57; p < 0.0001). Volumetric behavior did not differ significantly over time regarding lesions’ initial sizes or localizations. No significant differences between groups were observed regarding rates of post-SRS intralesional hemorrhages.

Conclusion

Reversible volumetric increases in terms of pseudoprogression are observed 2–4 months after SRS in patients with MM concomitantly treated with ICI and ICI + TT, rarely after TT. Edema volumes mirror total MM volumes. Medical treatment type does not significantly affect rates of intralesional hemorrhage.

Efficacy of BRAF Inhibitors in Combination With Stereotactic Radiosurgery for the Treatment of Melanoma Brain Metastases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

BRAF inhibitors have improved the outcome for patients with BRAF mutant metastatic melanoma and have shown intracranial responses in melanoma brain metastases. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is being used as a local treatment for melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) with better local control and survival. We searched for studies comparing the combination of two treatments with SRS alone to detect any clinical evidence of synergism.

Materials and Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and Cochrane library were searched until May 2020 for studies with desired comparative outcomes. Outcomes of interest that were obtained for meta-analysis included survival as the primary, and local control as the secondary outcome.

Results

A total of eight studies involving 976 patients with MBM were selected. Survival was significantly improved for patients receiving BRAF inhibitor plus SRS in comparison to SRS alone as assessed from the time of SRS induction (SRS survival: hazard ratio [HR] 0.67 [0.58–0.79], p <0.00001), from the time of brain metastasis diagnosis (BM survival: HR 0.65 [0.54, 0.78], p < 0.00001), or from the time of primary diagnosis (PD survival: HR 0.74 [0.57–0.95], p = 0.02). Dual therapy was also associated with improved local control, indicating an additive effect of the two treatments (HR 0.53 [0.31–0.93], p=0.03). Intracranial hemorrhage was higher in patients receiving BRAF inhibitors plus SRS than in those receiving SRS alone (OR, 3.16 [1.43–6.96], p = 0.004).

Conclusions

BRAF inhibitors in conjunction with SRS as local treatment appear to be efficacious. Local brain control and survival improved in patients with MBM receiving dual therapy. Safety assessment would need to be elucidated further as the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage was increased.

Management of patients suffering from hemorrhagic intracranial metastases: Propositions to help the neurosurgeon in emergency situations based on a literature review

INTRODUCTION

Brain metastases are the most common intracranial neoplasm in adult patients, and one of the fearsome complications proves to be intratumoral hemorrhage. The neurosurgical management of patients harboring a bleeding brain metastasis is not fully established and there is still today an ongoing debate on the optimal management of these patients. The aim of this article is to provide the neurosurgeons with practical tools to assist in their decision-making process in the management of BMs.

METHODS

We conducted a literature review of the relevant Pubmed, Cochrane, and Google scholar-indexed articles published between 2000 and 2019. The following key words were entered in the Pubmed search engine: [metastasis], [metastases], [brain metastases], [brain metastasis], [hemorrhage], [hematoma], [blood clot], [intracerebral hemorrhage], [intracranial hemorrhage]. The review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA recommendations.

RESULTS

Based on PubMed, Cochrane, and Google scholar, 459 articles were retained, 392 were then removed because of their non-adequacy with the topic and, 9 articles were removed because they were not written in English language. So, 58 articles were analyzed. Radiological evaluation is crucial, but few traps exist. The frequency of overall brain tumor-related with intracranial hematoma is 7.2%, with a higher frequency for secondary tumors. The local recurrence rate after resection of a hemorrhagic metastasis seems to be better probably because of an easier "en bloc" resection thanks to the hematoma. An atypical presentation is reported in up to 4% in patients with chronic or acute subdural hematoma. Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage and epidural hematoma are rare. A clear-cut correlation between the incidence of bleeding event in brain mets and prior stereotactic radiosurgery was not established.

CONCLUSION

The current literature pertaining to the neurosurgical management of acute bleeding in brain metastasis is scant and the level of evidence remains low (experts 'opinions; class C). Herein we suggest a flowchart to assist in dealing with those difficult patients.

Toxicity and efficacy of Gamma Knife radiosurgery for brain metastases in melanoma patients treated with immunotherapy or targeted therapy-A retrospective cohort study

Background

Few safety data of concurrent stereotactic radiosurgery and targeted therapy (TT) or immunotherapy (IT) are available. The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcome of melanoma patients with brain metastases (MBM) after Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (GKRS) in relation to IT/TT.

Methods

We evaluated 182 MBM patients, who were treated with GKRS in the modern radiosurgical and oncological era.

Results

The median time between the initial melanoma diagnosis and occurrence of MBM was 2.4 years. The median overall survival time was 5.4 years after melanoma diagnosis. The estimated median survival after the initial diagnosis of MBM was 1.0 year (95% CI = 0.7‐1.2 years). Patients treated with anti‐PD‐1 or a combination of anti‐CTLA‐4/PD‐1 showed a significantly longer survival after first GKRS compared to all other forms of treatment. In addition, patients treated with anti‐PD‐1, anti‐CTLA‐4, or a combination of anti‐CTLA‐4/PD‐1 showed a significantly longer time to new MBM after GKRS1 compared to patients treated with other forms and combinations of the oncological therapy. The occurrence of hemorrhage or radiation reaction/necrosis after GKRS did not show any statistically significant differences in relation to IT/TT.

Conclusion

In MBM patients, complications after GKRS are not significantly increased if IT/TT treatment is performed at the time of or after radiosurgery. Further, a clear benefit in distant control and survival is seen in MBM patients treated with GKRS and checkpoint inhibitors. Thus, concomitant treatment of MBM with GKRS and IT/TT seems to be a safe and powerful treatment option although further prospective studies should be conducted.

Stereotactic radiotherapy on brain metastases with recent hemorrhagic signal: STEREO-HBM, a two-step phase 2 trial

BACKGROUND

Brain metastases often occur in cancer evolution. They are not only responsible for death but also for disorders affecting the quality of life and the cognitive functions. Management of brain metastases usually consists in multi-modality treatments, including neurosurgery, whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), and more recently radiosurgery (SRS) or fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT), systemic treatment (chemotherapy or targeted therapy), combined or not with corticosteroids. Almost 20% of brain metastases can present recent (within 15 days) bleeding signs on neuro-imagery. In these conditions, WBRT is the usual treatment. Yet, patients may benefit from a more aggressive strategy with SRT or FSRT. However, these options were suspected to possibly major the risk of brain haemorrhage, although no scientifically proven. Radiation oncologists therefore usually remain reluctant to deliver SRS/FSRT for bleeding brain metastases. It is therefore challenging to establish a standard of care for the treatment of bleeding brain metastases. We propose a phase II trial to simultaneously assess safety and efficacy of FSRT to manage brain metastases with hemorrhagic signal.

METHODS

The STEREO-HBM study is a multicenter two-step non-randomised phase II trial addressing patients with at least one bleeding brain metastasis out of a maximum of 3 brain metastases. Each brain metastasis will be treated with 30 Gy in 3 fractions for 1 week. The main endpoint is based on both safety and efficacy endpoints as proposed by Bryant and Day's design. Safety endpoint is defined as the rate of bleeding complications 4 months post-FSRT while efficacy endpoint is defined as the 6-month local control rate. Multi-modal MRI will be used to assess intra-tumoral hemorrhagic events before and after treatment. Patients' quality of life will also be assessed.

DISCUSSION

Management of bleeding brain metastases is still debated and poorly explored in clinical trials. There is sparse and weak data on the signification of pretreatment intra-tumour haemorrhagic signs or on the risk of brain bleeding complications after FSRT. We expect this first prospective phase 2 trial in this particular setting will allow to clarify the place of FSRT to optimally manage bleeding brain metastases.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT03696680, registered October, 4, 2018.

PROTOCOL VERSION

Version 2.1 dated from 2018/11/09.

Operative and peri-operative considerations in the management of brain metastasis

The number of patients who develop metastatic brain lesions is increasing as the diagnosis and treatment of systemic cancers continues to improve, resulting in longer patient survival. The role of surgery in the management of brain metastasis (BM), particularly multiple and recurrent metastases, remains controversial and continues to evolve. However, with appropriate patient selection, outcomes after surgery are typically favorable. In addition, surgery is the only means to obtain a tissue diagnosis and is the only effective treatment modality to quickly relieve neurological complications or life-threatening symptoms related to significant mass effect, CSF obstruction, and peritumoral edema. As such, a thorough understanding of the role of surgery in patients with metastatic brain lesions, as well as the factors associated with surgical outcomes, is essential for the effective management of this unique and growing patient population.

[Stereotactic radiotherapy of brain metastases in complex situations]

Stereotactic radiation therapy of brain metastases is a treatment recognized as effective, well tolerated, applicable for therapeutic indications codified and validated by national and international guidelines. However, the effectiveness of this irradiation, the evolution of patient care and the technical improvements enabling its implementation make it possible to consider it in more complex situations: proximity of brain metastases to organs at risk; large, cystic, haemorrhagic or multiple brain metastases, combination with targeted therapies and immunotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy in patients with a pacemaker. This article aims to put forward the arguments available to date in the literature and those resulting from clinical practice to provide decision support for the radiation oncologists.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases from malignant melanoma and the impact of hemorrhagic metastases

INTRODUCTION

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a common treatment modality among patients with brain metastases, particularly from malignant melanoma. Our objective was to investigate the difference in local control, toxicity, and survival among patients with hemorrhagic and solid melanoma brain metastases.

METHODS

We collected demographic, treatment, local control, toxicity, and survival for 134 patients with a total of 936 intracranial melanoma metastases who underwent SRS between 1998 and 2015. Pre-radiosurgical diagnostic imaging was reviewed for evidence of hemorrhage (melanin-containing or clearly hemorrhagic).

RESULTS

The cohort consisted of 92 men and 42 women with a mea age of 61.7 years (range 21.2-84.9) at the time of radiosurgery. Overall survival of patients with brain metastases from malignant melanoma was 42, 31, 12% at 12, 24, and 72 months from date of first SRS. At 6 months, 43% of the patients with hemorrhagic metastases had local tumor control compared to 83% of solid melanoma metastases (p < 0.001). No significant difference in toxicity was noted between the two groups. Factors that were significantly associated with time to local tumor progression on multivariate analysis include prior WBRT (HR 1.62, p = 0.003), prior chemotherapy (HR 0.69, p = 0.011), margin dose (HR 0.88, p < 0.001) and radiographic features of melanin deposition (HR 3.73, p < 0.001), or clear hemorrhage (HR 2.20, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrate that hemorrhagic intracranial melanoma metastases are associated with inferior local tumor control when treated with SRS, as compared to solid tumors. These results highlight the importance of early radiosurgery among patients with melanoma brain metastases before hemorrhage occurs.

A tertiary care cancer center experience with carboplatin and pemetrexed in combination with pembrolizumab in comparison with carboplatin and pemetrexed alone in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Randomized phase II and III studies showed the promising results of the combination of carboplatin/pemetrexed with pembrolizumab in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer patients. Patients with brain metastases were excluded from the phase II study. After FDA approval, this regimen was adopted early at our institution, including a use in patients with brain metastases. We report real-world use of this regimen in a single medical center.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study that includes patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer diagnosed and treated with carboplatin/pemetrexed (Cohort A) or carboplatin/pemetrexed plus pembrolizumab (Cohort B) between January 1st, 2016 till December 15th, 2017. Objective response rate (ORR) was the primary endpoint. Progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR) were the secondary endpoints.

RESULTS

A total of 54 patients were included (cohort A =37 vs. cohort B =17). ORR was 53.3% in cohort B vs. 40.5% in cohort A (P=0.41). DCR was significantly higher in cohort B (86.7% vs. 54%, P=0.02). PFS was also higher in cohort B (P= 0.009, HR 0.22). Similar proportion of patients had brain metastases in each cohort (A: 32.4% vs. B: 35.3%, P=0.83). ORR was higher in patients with brain metastases from cohort B (B: 80% vs. A: 58.3%, P=0.75). Significantly higher proportion of the patients with brain metastases progressed in cohort A (A: 91.7% vs. B: 33.3%, P=0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of carboplatin and pemetrexed with pembrolizumab showed promising results in a real world setting in patients with NSCLC with and without brain metastases that are in line with the reported results of phase II and III studies. Most significant benefit was observed in preventing progression and achieving the disease control.

Second course of stereotactic radiosurgery for locally recurrent brain metastases: Safety and efficacy

In the present study, we have evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of repeated brain metastases (BM) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS2) following local failure of a prior radiosurgical procedure (SRS1). Between December 1996 and August 2015, 30 patients with 36 BM underwent SRS2 with a median dose of 18Gy. All BM were located outside critical structures. Following SRS2, local control at 6 months and one year were respectively 82.9% (IC 95%: 67.6–91.9) and 67.8% (IC 95%: 51–81). On multivariate analysis, planning target volume (PTV) < 3cc (HR: 0.19 (0.1–0.52)) and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) prior to SRS2 (HR: 0.25 (0.1–0.64)) were significantly associated with a better local control. One- and two-year overall survival rates after SRS2 were respectively 65.5% (IC 95%: 47.3–80%) and 27.6% (IC 95%: 14.7–45.7). Median overall survival following SRS2 was 14.2 months (range 1–106). Nineteen (63%) patients died from progressive systemic disease. Three (10%) patients died from out-field progressive brain disease and 8 (27%) in-field. Concerning toxicities, edema, radionecrosis, and hemorrhages were identified in 5 (12.8%), 4 (10.2%), and 5 (12.8%) patients respectively. No toxicity resulted in a neurological deficit. On univariate analysis, toxicities were significantly associated with PTV > 7cc (p = 0.02) and all patients had a WBRT before SRS2. A second course of SRS for locally recurrent brain metastases showed encouraging rates of local control. This treatment led to acceptable toxicities, especially for brain metastases smaller than 7cc, in our selected cohort of patients with BM located outside critical structures. Further studies are needed.

Retrospective study of 229 surgically treated patients with brain metastases: Prognostic factors, outcome and comparison of recursive partitioning analysis and diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment

Background:

Metastases are the most frequent tumors in the brain. Most often used scoring systems to predict the outcome are the RPA (Recursive Partitioning Analysis) classification and the DS-GPA (Diagnosis-Specific Graded Prognostic Assessment) score. The goal of our study was to determine prognostic factors which influence outcome in patients who undergo surgery for brain metastases and to compare different outcome scores.

Methods:

Two hundred and twenty-nine patients who underwent surgery for brain metastases in our institution between January 2005 and December 2014 were included in the study. Patient data were evaluated retrospectively.

Results:

The mean survival time was 19.2 months (median survival time, MST: 8 months), for patients with a single metastasis (n = 149) 17.6 months (MST: 8 months), and for patients with multiple metastases (n = 80) 17.9 months (MST: 6 months). Significant influence on MST had age <65 years (9 vs. 5 months, P = 0.002), female sex (10 vs. 6 months, P < 0.001), RPA Class I and II (11 vs. 4 months, P < 0.001), Karnofsky score >70% (11 vs. 4 months, P < 0.001), and postoperative radiotherapy (8 vs. 5 months, P < 0.002). To evaluate the diagnostic power of DS-GPA and RPA score in respect of survival, two Cox regressions were modeled, where the RPA classification showed a better predictive power.

Conclusion:

Favorable factors for prolonged survival were KPS >70%, RPA Class I and II, age <65 years, female sex, a DS-GPA Score of 2.5–3 and 3.5–4, and adjuvant radiotherapy. The RPA Classification was more accurate in predicting the outcome than the DS-GPA score.

High frequency of brain metastases after adjuvant therapy for high-risk melanoma

The incidence of CNS progression in patients with high-risk regional melanoma (stages IIIAN2a-IIIC) is not well characterized. Data from the S0008 trial provided an opportunity to examine the role of CNS progression in treatment failure and survival. All patients were surgically staged. Following wide excision and full regional lymphadenectomy, patients were randomized to receive adjuvant biochemotherapy (BCT) or high-dose interferon alfa-2B (HDI). CNS progression was retrospectively identified from data forms. Survival was measured from date of CNS progression. A total of 402 eligible patients were included in the analysis (BCT: 199, HDI: 203). Median follow-up (if alive) was over 7 years (range: 1 month to 11 years). The site of initial progression was identifiable in 80% of relapsing patients. CNS progression was a component of systemic melanoma relapse in 59/402 patients (15% overall). In 34/402 patients (9%) CNS progression represented the initial site of treatment failure. CNS progression was a component of initial progression in 27% of all patients whose melanoma relapsed (59/221). The risk of CNS progression was highest within 3 years of randomization. The difference in CNS progression rates between treatment arms was not significant (BCT = 25, HDI = 34, P = 0.24). Lymph node macrometastases strongly associated with CNS progression (P = 0.001), while ulceration and head and neck primaries were not significant predictors. This retrospective analysis of the S0008 trial identified a high brain metastasis rate (15%) in regionally advanced melanoma patients. Further studies are needed to establish whether screening plus earlier treatment would improve survival following CNS progression.

Distant intracranial failure in melanoma brain metastases treated with stereotactic radiosurgery in the era of immunotherapy and targeted agents

Purpose

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in combination with immunotherapy (IMT) or targeted therapy is increasingly being used in the setting of melanoma brain metastases (MBMs). The synergistic properties of combination therapy are not well understood. We compared the distant intracranial failure rates of intact MBMs treated with SRS, SRS + IMT, and SRS + targeted therapy.

Methods and materials

Combination therapy was defined as delivery of SRS within 3 months of IMT (anti-CTLA-4 /anti-PD-1 therapy) or targeted therapy (BRAF/MEK inhibitors). The primary endpoint was distant intracranial failure after SRS, which was defined as any new MBM identified on brain magnetic resonance imaging. Outcomes were evaluated using the Kaplan Meier method and Cox proportional hazards.

Results

A total of 72 patients with melanoma with 233 MBMs were treated between April 2006 and April 2016. The number of MBMs within each treatment group was as follows: SRS: 121; SRS + IMT: 48; and SRS + targeted therapy: 64. The median follow-up was 8.9 months. One-year distant intracranial control rates for SRS, SRS + IMT, and SRS + targeted therapy were 11.5%, 60%, and 10%, respectively (P < .001). On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for steroid use and number of MBMs, SRS + IMT remained associated with a significant reduction in distant intracranial failure compared with SRS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29-0.80; P = .003) and compared with SRS + targeted therapy (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.25-0.68; P = .001).One-year local control for SRS, SRS + IMT, and SRS + targeted therapy was 66%, 85%, and 72%, respectively (P = .044). On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for dose, SRS + IMT remained associated with a significant reduction in local failure compared with SRS alone (HR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.14-0.95; P = .04).

Conclusions

SRS with immunotherapy is associated with decreased distant and local intracranial failure compared with SRS alone. Prospective studies are warranted to validate this result.

RADVAN: a randomised phase 2 trial of WBRT plus vandetanib for melanoma brain metastases - results and lessons learnt

BACKGROUND

Brain metastases occur in up to 75% of patients with advanced melanoma. Most are treated with whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT), with limited effectiveness. Vandetanib, an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor and rearranged during transfection tyrosine kinases, is a potent radiosensitiser in xenograft models. We compared WBRT with WBRT plus vandetanib in the treatment of patients with melanoma brain metastases.

METHODS

In this double-blind, multi-centre, phase 2 trial patients with melanoma brain metastases were randomised to receive WBRT (30 Gy in 10 fractions) plus 3 weeks of concurrent vandetanib 100 mg once daily or placebo. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival in brain (PFS brain). The main study was preceded by a safety run-in phase to confirm tolerability of the combination. A post-hoc analysis and literature review considered barriers to recruiting patients with melanoma brain metastases to clinical trials.

RESULTS

Twenty-four patients were recruited, six to the safety phase and 18 to the randomised phase. The study closed early due to poor recruitment. Median PFS brain was 3.3 months (90% confidence interval (CI): 1.6-5.6) in the vandetanib group and 2.5 months (90% CI: 0.2-4.8) in the placebo group (P=0.34). Median overall survival (OS) was 4.6 months (90% CI: 1.6-6.3) and 2.5 months (90% CI: 0.2-7.2), respectively (P=0.54). The most frequent adverse events were fatigue, alopecia, confusion and nausea. The most common barrier to study recruitment was availability of alternative treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of WBRT plus vandetanib was well tolerated. Compared with WBRT alone, there was no significant improvement in PFS brain or OS, although we are unable to provide a definitive result due to poor accrual. A review of barriers to trial accrual identified several factors that affect study recruitment in this difficult disease area.

Pembrolizumab for patients with melanoma or non-small-cell lung cancer and untreated brain metastases: early analysis of a non-randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial

BACKGROUND

Immunotherapy targeting the PD-1 axis has activity in several tumour types. We aimed to establish the activity and safety of the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab in patients with untreated brain metastases from melanoma or non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

In this non-randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial, we enrolled patients aged 18 years or older with melanoma or NSCLC with untreated brain metastases from the Yale Cancer Center. Patients had at least one untreated or progressive brain metastasis between 5 and 20 mm in diameter without associated neurological symptoms or the need for corticosteroids. Patients with NSCLC had tumour tissue positive for PD-L1 expression; this was not required for patients with melanoma. Patients were given 10 mg/kg pembrolizumab every 2 weeks until progression. The primary endpoint was brain metastasis response assessed in all treated patients. The trial is ongoing and here we present an early analysis. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02085070.

FINDINGS

Between March 31, 2014, and May 31, 2015, we screened 52 patients with untreated or progressive brain metastases (18 with melanoma, 34 with NSCLC), and enrolled 36 (18 with melanoma, 18 with NSCLC). A brain metastasis response was achieved in four (22%; 95% CI 7-48) of 18 patients with melanoma and six (33%; 14-59) of 18 patients with NSCLC. Responses were durable, with all but one patient with NSCLC who responded showing an ongoing response at the time of data analysis on June 30, 2015. Treatment-related serious and grade 3-4 adverse events were grade 3 elevated aminotransferases (n=1 [6%]) in the melanoma cohort, and grade 3 colitis (n=1 [6%]), grade 3 pneumonitis (n=1 [6%]), grade 3 fatigue (n=1 [6%]), grade 4 hyperkalemia (n=1 [6%]), and grade 2 acute kidney injury (n=1 [6%]) in the NSCLC cohort. Clinically significant neurological adverse events included transient grade 3 cognitive dysfunction and grade 1-2 seizures (n=3 [17%]) in the melanoma cohort.

INTERPRETATION

Pembrolizumab shows activity in brain metastases in patients with melanoma or NSCLC with an acceptable safety profile, which suggests that there might be a role for systemic immunotherapy in patients with untreated or progressive brain metastases.

FUNDING

Merck and the Yale Cancer Center.

Management of melanoma brain metastases

Relapses in the brain remain a major obstacle to cure in many patients with advanced melanoma. At present, the management of melanoma brain metastases continues to rely heavily on surgical and radiotherapeutic interventions, which have become safer and more effective with modern imaging, surgery and radiation technologies. Additionally, novel targeted and immunotherapeutic agents, shown to generate meaningful intracranial response and survival benefit in patients with melanoma brain metastases when compared with historical controls, expand systemic treatment options for this subset of patients. These systemic therapies become particularly important when intracranial disease burden precludes neuro- or radio-surgery. Considerable multidisciplinary research effort is ongoing to improve outcomes for melanoma patients with brain metastases, a key challenge in the management of advanced melanoma.

Post-treatment intracranial hemorrhage of brain metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose

To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of post-treatment intracranial hemorrhage of brain metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials and Methods

Medical records of 81 patients who have been diagnosed of brain metastases from HCC and underwent surgery, radiosurgery and/or whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) between January 2000 and December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

Intracranial hemorrhage was present in 64 patients (79%) at the time of diagnosis. Median value of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level was 1,700 ng/mL. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status for 20 patients was greater than 2. Fifty-seven patients underwent WBRT and the others were treated with surgery and/or radiosurgery without WBRT. During follow-up, 12 events of intracranial hemorrhage after treatment were identified. Three-month post-treatment hemorrhage rate was 16.1%. Multivariate analyses revealed that ECOG performance status, AFP, and WBRT were associated with post-treatment hemorrhage (p = 0.013, 0.013, and 0.003, respectively). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that 3-month post-treatment hemorrhage rate of new lesion was higher in patients treated without WBRT, although statistical significance was not reached. (18.6% vs. 4.6%; p = 0.104). Ten of 12 patients with post-treatment hemorrhage died with neurologic cause.

Conclusion

WBRT should be considered to prevent post-treatment hemorrhage in the treatment of brain metastases from HCC.

[Locoregional treatments of brain metastases for patients with metastatic cutaneous melanoma: French national guidelines]

INTRODUCTION

The management of metastatic cutaneous melanoma is changing, marked by innovative therapies. However, their respective use and place in the therapeutic strategy continue to be debated by healthcare professionals.

OBJECTIVE

The French national cancer institute has led a national clinical practice guideline project since 2008. It has carried out a review of these modalities of treatment and established recommendations.

METHODS

The clinical practice guidelines development process is based on systematic literature review and critical appraisal by experts. The recommendations are thus based on the best available evidence and expert agreement. Prior to publication, the guidelines are reviewed by independent practitioners in cancer care delivery.

RESULTS

This article presents the results of bibliographic search, the conclusions of the literature and the recommendations concerning locoregional treatments of brain metastases for patients with metastatic cutaneous melanoma.

Advances in therapy for melanoma brain metastases

Melanoma cells frequently metastasize to the brain, and approximately 50% of patients with metastatic melanoma develop intracranial disease. Historically, central nervous system dissemination has portended a very poor prognosis. Recent advances in systemic therapies for melanoma, supported by improved local therapy control of brain lesions, have resulted in better median survival for these patients. We review current local and systemic approaches for patients with melanoma brain metastases.

The usefulness of stereotactic radiosurgery for radioresistant brain metastases

Objective

We investigated the effectiveness of stereotactic gamma knife Radiosurgery (GKR) for radioresistant brain metastases with the impact upon histology.

Methods

Between April 2004 and May 2011, a total of 23 patients underwent GKR for 67 metastatic brain tumors from 12 renal cell cancers, 5 sarcomas and 6 melanomas. The mean age was 56 years (range, 18 to 79 years). Most of the patients were classified as the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group recursive partitioning analysis class II (91.3%). The synchronous metastasis was found in 6 patients (26.1%) and metachronous metastasis in 17 patients (73.9%). We analyzed the local control rate, intracranial progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

The mean tumor volume for GKR was 2.24 cc and the mean prescription dose was 19.4 Gy (range, 10 to 24) to the tumor margin. Out of metachronous metastases, the median duration to intracranial metastasis was 3.3 years in renal cell cancer (RCC), 2.4 years in melanoma and 1.1 years in sarcoma (p=0.012). The total local control rate was 89.6% during the mean 12.4 months follow-up. The six-month and one-year local control rate was 90.2% and 83% respectively. Depending on the pathology, the control rate of RCC was 95.7%, sarcoma 91.3% and melanoma 80.5% during the follow-up. The common cause of local failure was the tumor bleeding in melanoma. The median PFS and OS were 5.2 and 8.4 months in RCC patients, 6.5 and 9.8 months in sarcoma, and 3.8 and 5.1 months in melanoma.

Conclusion

The GKR can be one of the effective management options for the intracranial metastatic tumors from the radioresistant tumors. The melanoma showed a poor local control rate compared to other pathologies because of the hemorrhage.

Clinical effects of stereotactic radiation surgery in patients with metastatic melanoma

We examined the effectiveness of stereotactic radiation surgery (SRS) in 14 patients with brain metastasis in our hospital. The age of the patients ranged 45-85 years old (mean, 65). Brain metastasis was detected by neurological symptoms in seven patients and by regular imaging examination in the remaining patients. The number of metastatic lesions in the brain before SRS ranged 1-11 (median, 2). The treatment number of SRS was 1-4 times (median, 2). Six of 14 patients had neurological symptoms before SRS. Overall survival (OS) after SRS was 1.7-21.2 months (median, 8.2). The progression-free survival (PFS) after SRS was 0.9-10.5 months (median, 2.2). The result of univariate analysis showed that the application of two or more courses of SRS was significantly related to OS (P = 0.005). Single metastatic lesion (P = 0.051) and no extracranial lesion (P = 0.055) showed a slight tendency to be related to disease-free survival (DFS). Neither lactate dehydrogenase nor neurological symptoms were significantly related to OS or DFS. Although OS and DFS after SRS were not very long, the treatment of brain metastases has the potential to prevent neurological events. Repeating SRS may be accepted as a local therapy in the multimodal approach including new molecular targeting drugs for metastatic melanoma.

Surgical resection of brain metastases-impact on neurological outcome

Brain metastases (BM) develop in about 30% of all cancer patients. Surgery plays an important role in confirming neuropathological diagnosis, relieving mass effects and improving the neurological status. To select patients with the highest benefit from surgical resection, prognostic indices (RPA, GPA) have been formulated which are solely focused on survival without considering neurological improvement. In this study we analyzed the impact of surgical resection on the neurological status in addition to overall survival in 206 BM patients. Surgical mortality and morbidity was 0.0% and 10.3% respectively. New neurologic deficits occurred in 6.3% of all patients. The median overall survival was 6.3 months. Poor RPA class and short time interval between diagnosis of cancer and the occurrence of BM were independent factors predictive for poor survival. Improvement of neurological performance was achieved in 56.8% of all patients, with the highest improvement rate seen in patients presenting with increased intracranial pressure and hemiparesis. Notably, the neurological benefits were independent from RPA class. In conclusion, surgical resection leads to significant neurological improvement despite poor RPA class and short overall survival. Considering the low mortality and morbidity rates, resection should be considered as a valid option to increase neurological function and quality of life for patients with BM.

Lethal intratumoral haemorrhages of brain metastases during radiosurgery: case reports and literature review

Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) is an effective and important treatment modality in the management of brain metastases. The short-term complication rate is low and the tumour control rate high. Complications caused by acute radiation-induced oedema are rare and usually benign. In this article, two cases of lethal haemorrhagic event immediately following GKS are described from two centres, which had prompted us to review the literature.

Single brain metastases from melanoma: remarks on a series of 84 patients

The authors report on 84 patients with single melanoma brain metastasis surgically treated from 1997 to 2007. There were 46 males and 38 females; mean age was 41 years (range 24-58 years). All patients were surgically treated, and 52 of them received postoperative adjuvant therapy consisting of whole-brain radiation therapy (36), radiosurgery (9), or a combination of these two techniques (7). Brain recurrences were observed in 44 cases, of which 9 were local. Of the latter, seven were re-operated while the remaining two were treated by radiosurgery. At 1-year follow-up, the survival rate was 52% (32 patients) whereas only 12 patients (14%) were still alive after 2 years. None of the patients in which removal was subtotal survived for more than 6 months after surgical treatment. Three years after the onset of the brain metastasis, five patients (6%) were still alive. Survival was significantly influenced by treatment with regard to overall survival reported in other series. A review of literature, together with our own series, suggests that radical surgical treatment of the lesion possibly employing the internal no-touch technique has significantly increased survival in our patients (p < 0.05) and that the association of postoperative radiotherapy and re-operation in the event of recurrent metastatic lesions is advisable even though statistical significance was not reached (p > 0.05).

Implications of Identifying Additional Cerebral Metastases during Gamma Knife Radiosurgery

Introduction. Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GK-SRS) is commonly used to treat cerebral metastases. Although additional intracranial metastases are often found on the day of GK-SRS, the significance of finding them is unknown. Methods. A retrospective review of 133 patients undergoing GK-SRS for cerebral metastases was performed. The change in number of metastases detected between initial referral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and subsequent treatment MRI was quantified. Multivariate and Kaplan-Meier analyses were employed to examine the significance of identifying additional lesions. Results. Additional lesions were identified in 41% of patients. An increasing number of metastases on referral MRI (P = 0.001) and the presence of progressive systemic disease (P = 0.003) were predictive of identifying additional metastases. Median survival was 6.9 months for patients with additional metastases, compared to 12.1 months for patients without additional metastases (hazard ratio 1.56, P = 0.021). Conclusions. Identifying additional metastases on the day of GK-SRS may add important prognostic information.

Surgical management of melanoma brain metastases in patients treated with immunotherapy

OBJECT

Despite the increasing use of immunotherapy in the treatment of metastatic melanoma, the effects of this therapy on the management of patients with associated brain metastases are not completely defined. The authors undertook this study to determine the effectiveness of resection and the effects of immunotherapy on brain metastasis management.

METHODS

The authors analyzed data pertaining to consecutive patients with metastatic melanoma treated with immunotherapy within 3 months of discovery of brain metastases that were surgically resected.

RESULTS

Forty-one patients (median age 44.4 years, range 19.2-63.1 years) underwent resection of 53 brain metastases (median number of metastases 1, range 1-4). The median metastasis volume was 2.5 cm(3). Fifteen patients underwent whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) and 26 patients did not. Duration of survival from brain metastasis diagnosis was not significantly different between patients who received WBRT (mean 24.9 months) and those who did not (mean 23.3 months) (p > 0.05). Local and distant brain recurrence rates were not statistically different between the WBRT (7.1% and 28.6%, respectively) and non-WBRT (7.7% and 41.0%) groups for the duration of follow-up (p > 0.05). An objective systemic response to immunotherapy was associated with increased duration of survival (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Resection of melanoma brain metastases in patients treated with immunotherapy provides excellent local control with low morbidity. An objective response to systemic immunotherapy is associated with a prolonged survival in patients who have undergone resection of melanoma brain metastases. Moreover, adjuvant WBRT in melanoma immunotherapy patients with limited metastatic disease to the brain does not appear to provide a significant survival benefit.

Surgical outcomes of hemorrhagic metastatic brain tumors

Purpose

Hemorrhagic metastatic brain tumors are not rare, but little is known about the surgical outcome following treatment. We conducted this study to determine the result of the surgical outcome of hemorrhagic metastatic brain tumors.

Materials and Methods

From July 2001 to December 2008, 21 patients underwent surgery for hemorrhagic metastatic brain tumors at our institution. 15 patients had lung cancer, 3 had hepatocellular carcinoma, and the rest had rectal cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and sarcoma. 20 patients had macroscopic hemorrhage in the tumors, and one patient had intracerebral hemorrhage surrounding the tumor. A retrospective clinical review was conducted focusing on the patterns of presenting symptoms and signs, as well as local recurrence following surgery.

Results

Among 21 hemorrhagic brain metastases, local recurrence developed in two patients. The 12 month progression free survival rate was 86.1%. Mean time to progression was 20.8 months and median survival time after surgery was 11.7 months.

Conclusion

The results of our study showed that hemorrhagic metastatic brain tumors rarely recurred after surgery. Surgery should be considered as a good treatment option for hemorrhagic brain metastasis, especially in cases with increased intracranial pressure or severe neurologic deficits.

Outcome predictors of Gamma Knife surgery for melanoma brain metastases. Clinical article

OBJECT

To evaluate the role of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the management of brain metastases from melanoma, the authors assessed clinical outcomes and prognostic factors for survival and tumor control.

METHODS

The authors reviewed 333 consecutive patients with melanoma who underwent SRS for 1570 brain metastases from cutaneous and mucosal/acral melanoma. The patient population consisted of 109 female and 224 male patients with a median age of 53 years. Two hundred eleven patients (63%) had multiple metastases. One hundred eighteen patients (35%) underwent whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT). The target volume ranged from 0.1 cm(3) to 37.2 cm(3). The median marginal dose was 18 Gy.

RESULTS

Actuarial survival rates were 70% at 3 months, 47% at 6 months, 25% at 12 months, and 10% at 24 months after radiosurgery. Factors associated with longer survival included controlled extracranial disease, better Karnofsky Performance Scale score, fewer brain metastases, no prior WBRT, no prior chemotherapy, administration of immunotherapy, and no intratumoral hemorrhage before radiosurgery. The median survival for patients with a solitary brain metastasis, controlled extracranial disease, and administration of immunotherapy after radiosurgery was 22 months. Sustained local tumor control was achieved in 73% of the patients. Sixty-four (25%) of 259 patients who had follow-up imaging after SRS had evidence of delayed intratumoral hemorrhage. Sixteen patients underwent a craniotomy due to intratumoral hemorrhage. Seventeen patients (6%) had asymptomatic and 21 patients (7%) had symptomatic radiation effects. Patients with ≤ 8 brain metastases, no prior WBRT, and the recursive partitioning analysis Class I had extended survivals (median 54.3 months).

CONCLUSIONS

Stereotactic radiosurgery is an especially valuable option for patients with controlled systemic disease even if they have multiple metastatic brain tumors.

Dose escalation of whole-brain radiotherapy for brain metastases from melanoma

PURPOSE

The majority of patients with brain metastases from melanoma receive whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT). However, the results are poor. Hypofractionation regimens failed to improve the outcome of these patients. This study investigates a potential benefit from escalation of the WBRT dose beyond the "standard" regimen 30 Gy in 10 fractions (10x3 Gy).

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Data from 51 melanoma patients receiving WBRT alone were retrospectively analyzed. A dosage of 10x3 Gy (n = 33) was compared with higher doses including 40 Gy/20 fractions (n = 11) and 45 Gy/15 fractions (n = 7) for survival (OS) and local (intracerebral) control (LC). Additional potential prognostic factors were evaluated: age, gender, performance status, number of metastases, extracerebral metastases, and recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) class.

RESULTS

At 6 months, OS rates were 27% after 10x3 Gy and 50% after higher doses (p = 0.009). The OS rates at 12 months were 4% and 20%. On multivariate analysis, higher WBRT doses (p = 0.010), fewer than four brain metastases (p = 0.012), no extracerebral metastases (p = 0.006), and RPA class 1 (p = 0.005) were associated with improved OS. The LC rates at 6 months were 23% after 10x3 Gy and 50% after higher doses (p = 0.021). The LC rates at 12 months were 0% and 13%. On multivariate analysis, higher WBRT doses (p = 0.020) and fewer than brain metastases (p = 0.002) were associated with better LC.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the limitations of a retrospective study, the findings suggest that patients with brain metastases from melanoma receiving WBRT alone may benefit from dose escalation beyond 10x3 Gy. The hypothesis generated by this study must be confirmed in a randomized trial stratifying for significant prognostic factors.