Intrathecal chemotherapy for treatment of leptomeningeal dissemination of metastatic tumours.
Fiche publication
Date publication
septembre 2010
Auteurs
Membres identifiés du Cancéropôle Est :
Dr BEAUCHESNE Patrick
Tous les auteurs :
Beauchesne P
Lien Pubmed
Résumé
Neoplastic meningitis consists of diffuse involvement of the leptomeninges by infiltrating cancer cells, and can be caused by systemic or primary CNS tumours, such as solid cancers or lymphoproliferative malignant disease. Neoplastic meningitis is characterised by multifocal neurological signs and symptoms. Thus, careful neurological examination is needed for diagnosis of secondary diffuse involvement. Survival of patients with neoplastic meningitis is short (3-4 months), although some patients have long-lasting remission. Because most patients with neoplastic meningitis have diffuse systemic disease, treatment is typically palliative. However, more aggressive treatments are available to low-risk patients, which could increase survival. Therefore, identification of low-risk patients is important. Intrathecal chemotherapy is currently the main treatment for patients with neoplastic meningitis, but optimum anticancer chemotherapy is being studied.
Référence
Lancet Oncol. 2010 Sep;11(9):871-9