Journal of neuro-oncology
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Journal of neuro-oncology · Dec 2014
Gamma knife radiosurgery for the treatment of gynecologic malignancies metastasizing to the brain: clinical article.
Gynecologic malignancies represent some of the commonest causes of cancer in the female population. Despite their overall high prevalence, gynecologic malignancies have seldom been reported to metastasize to the brain. The incidence of gynecologic cancers spreading to the brain has been rising, and the optimal management of these patients is not well defined. ⋯ Patients with ovarian cancer had prolonged median survival following GKRS compared to patients with endometrial cancer (22.3 vs 8.3 months, p = 0.02). The patient with cervical cancer survived 8 months following her GKRS in the setting of metastatic brain tumor progression, whereas the patient with leiomyosarcoma passed away within several weeks of treatment secondary to disseminated extracranial primary disease. GKRS is a safe and effective means of achieving intracranial tumor control for patients with gynecologic cancer that has spread to the brain.
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Journal of neuro-oncology · Nov 2014
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyEnd of life care in high-grade glioma patients in three European countries: a comparative study.
Exploring cross-national differences is useful to evaluate whether different patterns of end of life (EOL) care meet patient's specific needs. This study aimed to (1) compare EOL care processes for high-grade glioma (HGG) patients in three European countries, (2) explore differences in perceived quality of care (QOC), and (3) identify aspects of good QOC in the EOL phase. We analyzed 207 questionnaires from relatives of deceased HGG patients, using a similar retrospective study design in three countries [The Netherlands (n = 83), Austria (n = 72) and the UK (n = 52)], and examined four subthemes: (1) organization of EOL care, (2) treatment preferences, (3) experiences with EOL care, (4) perceived QOC. ⋯ Dying at the preferred place, satisfaction with information provided and effective symptom treatment were independently associated with good QOC. There are various cross-national differences in organization and experiences with EOL care for HGG, but patient's perceived QOC is similar in the three countries. As symptom treatment was considered effective in only half of HGG patients, and independently predicted good QOC, this particularly needs further improvement in all countries.
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Journal of neuro-oncology · Nov 2014
Comparative StudyA comparative analysis of EGFR mutation status in association with the efficacy of TKI in combination with WBRT/SRS/surgery plus chemotherapy in brain metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer.
We proposed to identify the efficacy of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) using whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT)/stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)/surgery in brain metastases from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and clarify the association between treatment outcome and EGFR gene mutation status. A total of 282 patients with NSCLC brain metastases who underwent WBRT/SRS/surgery alone or in combination with TKI were enrolled in our study from 2003-2013. Amplification mutation refractory system technology was used to determine the EGFR mutation status in 109 tissue samples. ⋯ The median overall survival, median progression-free survival of intracranial disease, and median progression-free survival of extracranial disease was significantly longer for patients with TKI treatment (31.9 vs 17.0 months, P < 0.0001; 19.8 vs 12.0 months, P < 0.0001; and 19.6 vs 12.3 months, P < 0.0001; respectively). In subgroup analysis within the TKI group, patients harboring EGFR mutations had better extracranial disease control (20.4 vs 14.1 months, P = 0.032). Administration of TKI agents with conventional therapy compared with conventional therapy alone might be beneficial for overall survival, progression-free survival of intracranial disease and progression-free survival of extracranial disease in patients with brain metastases from NSCLC independent of EGFR mutations.
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Journal of neuro-oncology · Oct 2014
The relaxation response resiliency program (3RP) in patients with neurofibromatosis 1, neurofibromatosis 2, and schwannomatosis: results from a pilot study.
NF1, NF2, and Schwannomatosis are incurable tumor suppressor syndromes associated with poor quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an NF adapted, 8-week group mind body skills based intervention, the relaxation response resiliency program (3RP) aimed at improving resiliency and increasing satisfaction with life. Patients seen at MGH's Neurofibromatosis Clinic were offered participation if they described difficulties coping to a treating physician. ⋯ There was a trend for significance for improvement in somatization and sleepiness (p = 0.06), with effect sizes of 0.54-0.92 respectively. Statistically nonsignificant improvement was observed in all other measures, with effect sizes small to medium. In sum, the 3RP was found to be relatively feasible, highly acceptable and preliminary efficacious in decreasing symptom burden in this population, supporting the need of a randomized controlled trial.
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Journal of neuro-oncology · Oct 2014
Multicenter StudyAneurysmal bone cysts of the spine: treatment options and considerations.
Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) are benign bone lesions with annual incidences ranging from 1.4 to 3.2 cases per million people. Approximately, 10-30% of ABCs are found in the spine. Such lesions are traditionally treated with curettage or other intralesional techniques. ⋯ Spinal ABCs can be effectively treated with intralesional resection, en bloc resection, or SAE. Preoperative embolization should be considered before intralesional resection to limit intraoperative bleeding. Treatment plans must be guided by lesion characteristics and clinical presentation.