Brain Metastases from Endometrial Cancer: Clinical Characteristics, Outcomes, and Review of the Literature

World Neurosurg. 2021 Mar:147:e32-e39. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.11.087. Epub 2020 Dec 13.

Abstract

Background: Brain metastases from endometrial cancer are rare and poorly described. We aimed to estimate the proportion of brain metastases at our institution that arose from endometrial cancer, and to detail clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes.

Methods: We retrospectively identified and reviewed the charts of 30 patients with brain metastases from endometrial cancer seen at Stanford Hospital from 2008 to 2018.

Results: Among all patients with brain metastases, the proportion arising from endometrial cancer was 0.84%. The median age at diagnosis was 62 years (range, 39-79 years), and the median overall survival from brain metastasis diagnosis was 6.8 months (range, 1.0-58.2 months). Most patients harbored endometrioid histology (53.3%), and some had concurrent metastases to lung (50.0%), bone (36.7%), and liver (20.0%). The median time from endometrial cancer diagnosis to brain metastasis development was 20.8 months (range, 1.4 months to 11.2 years), and the median number of brain metastases was 2 (range, 1-20). Patients with non-endometrioid histologies had more brain metastases than those with endometrioid histology (6.21 vs. 2.44, P = 0.029). There was no difference in overall survival by histology.

Conclusions: We describe the largest cohort to date of patients with brain metastases originating from endometrial cancer. These patients represent a small fraction of all patients with brain metastases and have poor prognoses. These data enable providers caring for patients with brain metastases from endometrial cancer to appropriately counsel their patients.

Keywords: Brain metastasis; CNS; Central nervous system; Endometrial carcinoma; Gynecologic; Gynecology; Uterine cancer.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Asymptomatic Diseases
  • Ataxia / physiopathology
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary
  • Brain Neoplasms / physiopathology
  • Brain Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Brain Neoplasms / therapy
  • Carcinoma, Endometrioid / physiopathology
  • Carcinoma, Endometrioid / secondary*
  • Carcinoma, Endometrioid / therapy
  • Carcinosarcoma / physiopathology
  • Carcinosarcoma / secondary*
  • Carcinosarcoma / therapy
  • Cranial Nerve Diseases / physiopathology
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Female
  • Headache / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Karnofsky Performance Status
  • Liver Neoplasms / secondary
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary
  • Metastasectomy
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle Weakness / physiopathology
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Neoplasms, Cystic, Mucinous, and Serous / physiopathology
  • Neoplasms, Cystic, Mucinous, and Serous / secondary*
  • Neoplasms, Cystic, Mucinous, and Serous / therapy
  • Neurosurgical Procedures
  • Radiosurgery
  • Survival Rate
  • Time Factors