Neurosurgery
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The setting of a randomized trial can determine whether its findings are generalizable and can therefore apply to different settings. The contribution of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to neurosurgical randomized trials has not been systematically described before. ⋯ We have established that there is a substantial disparity between HICs and LMICs in the number of published neurosurgical trials. A concerted effort to invest in research capacity building in LMICs is an essential step towards ensuring context- and resource-specific high-quality evidence is generated.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Comparison of Low-Profiled Visualized Intraluminal Support Stent-Assisted Coiling and Coiling Only for Acutely Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: Safety and Efficacy Based on a Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study.
Low-profiled visualized intraluminal support (LVIS) is suggested as a promising stent for complex intracranial aneurysms. However, the safety and efficacy of LVIS-assisted coiling of acutely ruptured wide-necked intracranial aneurysms have not been well reported. ⋯ The LVIS stent is a safe and effective device for stent-assisted coiling of acutely ruptured wide-necked intracranial aneurysms, with comparable procedure-related complication rates, higher complete occlusion rates, and lower recurrence rates at follow-up compared with coiling only.
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Over 90 000 people are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma in the United States this year. The development of brain metastases is particularly difficult to manage. Over the past few years, melanoma patients with multiple unresectable brain metastases for which stereotactic surgery might also not be a viable option have fortunately experienced a dramatic expansion in available management options given improvements made to targeted agents, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy. ⋯ In this review, we summarize retrospective and prospective studies on individual advances in targeted agents, immunotherapy, and WBRT, highlighting important variables such as overall survival, intracranial progression-free survival, control and response rates, and toxicities. We also discuss the recent integration of these therapies into a multimodality approach, which has shown promise in the clinical setting although toxicities have not been insignificant. Finally, we describe ongoing prospective trials relevant to melanoma with brain metastases, and we conclude with our own thoughts on the optimal approach for these patients.
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Immune checkpoint inhibitors enhance immune recognition of tumors by interfering with the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) and programmed death 1 (PD1) pathways. In the past decade, these agents brought significant improvements to the prognostic outlook of patients with metastatic cancers. Recent data from retrospective analyses and a few prospective studies suggest that checkpoint inhibitors have activity against brain metastases from melanoma and nonsmall cell lung cancer, as single agents or in combination with radiotherapy. ⋯ In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of clinical data supporting the use of anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD1 agents in brain metastases. We also touch upon specific considerations on the assessment of intracranial responses in patients and immunotherapy-specific toxicities. We conclude that a subset of patients with brain metastases benefit from the addition of checkpoint inhibitors to standard of care therapeutic modalities, including radiotherapy and surgery.