Stereotactic radiosurgical treatment of brain metastases to the choroid plexus

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2011 Jul 15;80(4):1134-42. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2010.03.016.

Abstract

Purpose: Choroid plexus metastases (CPM) are uncommon lesions. Consequently, optimal management of CPM is uncertain. We summarize our experience with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of CPM.

Methods and materials: Sixteen consecutive patients with presumed CPM treated with SRS between 1997 and 2007 were examined. Twelve were men with a median age at diagnosis of CPM of 61.9 ± 9.9 years; 14 had metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC). All patients had controlled primary disease at the time of treatment for CPM. Four patients with RCC and 1 with non-small-cell lung cancer had undergone whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) previously and 2 had received SRS to other brain metastases. The disease-free interval from the primary diagnosis to CPM diagnosis averaged 39.3 ± 46.2 months (range, 1.0-156.3). Five patients were asymptomatic; of the remaining 11, none had symptoms related to CPM. All presented with a single CPM.

Results: Average maximum diameter of the CPMs was 2.0 ± 1.0 cm (range, 0.9-4.1 cm); mean volume was 2.4 ± 2.6 cm(3) (range, 0.2-9.3). Median SRS dose was 24 Gy to the 53% isodose line (range, 14-24 Gy). Survival after SRS to the CPM was 25.3 ± 23.4 months (range, 3.2-101.6). Patients in Recursive Partitioning Analysis (RPA) class I (n = 10) had improved survival compared to those in class II (n = 6), as did those with better GPA scores. There were no local failures. After SRS, 1 patient underwent WBRT, 3 patients had one, and another had two subsequent SRS treatments to other brain lesions. Of the 14 patients who have died, 11 succumbed to systemic disease progression, 2 to progressive, multifocal central nervous system disease, and 1 to systemic disease with concurrent, stable central nervous system disease. There were no complications related to SRS.

Conclusions: Most CPMs are associated with RCC. SRS represents a safe and viable treatment option as primary modality for these metastases, with excellent outcomes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / mortality
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Adenocarcinoma / secondary
  • Adenocarcinoma / surgery
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Brain Neoplasms* / secondary
  • Brain Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / secondary
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / surgery
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / secondary
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / surgery
  • Choroid Plexus Neoplasms / mortality
  • Choroid Plexus Neoplasms / pathology
  • Choroid Plexus Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Choroid Plexus Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Esophageal Neoplasms
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kidney Neoplasms
  • Lung Neoplasms
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Radiosurgery / methods*
  • Radiotherapy Dosage
  • Survival Analysis
  • Tumor Burden