Gamma Knife Surgery for Brain Metastases from Uterine Malignant Tumor

BACKGROUND

Uterine malignant tumors (uterine cervical carcinoma [UCC], uterine endometrial carcinoma, and uterine sarcoma) are common in women. Brain metastases from uterine malignant tumors are rare, but its incidence has been increasing. The present study aimed to investigate the characteristics of brain metastases from uterine malignant tumors, evaluate predictive factors, and assess the efficacy of Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) for metastases from uterine malignant tumors.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with brain metastases from uterine malignant tumors treated at Tokyo Gamma Unit Center from 2005 to 2017.

RESULTS

We identified 37 patients: 16 had UCC, 12 had uterine endometrial carcinoma, and 9 had uterine sarcoma. Their median age at diagnosis of brain metastases was 54.0 years. The median interval from diagnosis of uterine malignant tumor to brain metastases was 21.0 months, the median number of brain metastases was 3.0, and the median Karnofsky Performance Status at first GKS was 80%. The median survival after first GKS was 6.0 months. All patients had other metastases. Six-month and 1-year survival after first GKS were 48.9% and 32.6%, respectively, and the tumor control rate at 6 months after GKS was 90.8%. Brain metastases from UCC were significantly correlated with good tumor control (P = 0.024). Multivariate analysis determined that Karnofsky Performance Status was significantly associated with patient survival (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study suggest that GKS is an acceptable choice for controlling brain metastases from uterine malignant tumors. In particular, GKS provides excellent local control for metastases from UCC.

Metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma in the upper buccal gingiva misdiagnosed as an epulis

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare tumor constituting 1% of all uterine malignancies. This sarcoma demonstrates an aggressive growth pattern with an high rate of recurrence with hematologic dissemination; the most common sites are lung, liver, and peritoneal cavity, head and neck district being rarely interested. Only other four cases of metastasis in the oral cavity have been previously described. The treatment of choice is surgery and the use of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation has limited impact on clinical outcome. In case of metastases, surgical excision can be performed considering extent of disease, number and type of distant lesions, disease free interval from the initial diagnosis to the time of metastases, and expected life span. We illustrate a case of uterine LMS metastasis in the upper buccal gingiva that occurred during chemotherapy in a 63-year-old woman that underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for a diagnosis of LMS staged as pT2bN0 and that developed lung metastases eight months after primary treatment. Surgical excision of the oral mass (previously misdiagnosed as epulis at a dental center) and contemporary reconstruction with pedicled temporalis muscle flap was performed in order to improve quality of life. Even if resection was achieved in free margins, “local” relapse was observed 5 months after surgery.

Metastatic pattern of uterine leiomyosarcoma: retrospective analysis of the predictors and outcome in 113 patients

Objective

To describe metastatic pattern of uterine leiomyosarcomas (ULMS) and correlate it with clinical and histopathologic parameters.

Methods

We included 113 women (mean age, 53 years; range, 29 to 72 years) with histopathology-confirmed ULMS from 2000 to 2012. Distribution of metastases was noted from imaging by two radiologists in consensus. Predictors of development of metastases were analyzed with univariate and multivariate analysis. Impact of various clinical and histopathologic parameters on survival was compared using Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard regression model.

Results

Distant metastases were seen in 81.4% (92/113) of the patients after median interval of 7 months (interquartile range, 1 to 21). Lung was most common site of metastases (74%) followed by peritoneum (41%), bones (33%), and liver (27%). Local tumor recurrence was noted in 57 patients (50%), 51 of whom had distant metastases. Statistically significant correlation was noted between local recurrence and peritoneal metastases (p<0.001) and between lung and other common sites of hematogeneous metastases (p<0.05). Age, serosal involvement, local recurrence, and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage were predictive factors for metastases. At the time of reporting, 65% (74/113) of the patients have died; median survival was 45 months. Stage, local recurrence, and age were poor prognostic factors.

Conclusion

ULMS metastasizes most frequently to lung, peritoneum, bone, and liver. Local recurrence was associated with peritoneal spread and lung metastases with other sites of hematogeneous metastases. Age, FIGO stage and local recurrence predicted metastatic disease and advanced stage, older age and local recurrence predicted poor outcome.

Sarcomas of abdominal organs: computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings

Sarcomas originating from abdominal organs are extremely rare, and literature in which investigators focus on their imaging features is scarce. This article aims to review the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging features of these rare tumors and to help in clinical diagnosis. Various sarcomas (eg, angiosarcoma, undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, carcinosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma) originating, respectively, from different abdominal visceral organs (liver, pancreas, spleen, kidney, adrenal gland, uterus, and prostate gland) are reviewed along with cases we encountered.

Intracranial dural metastasis from uterine leiomyosarcoma with orbital extension

Intracranial metastases from uterine leiomyosarcoma are very rare and have been found mainly in the brain (17 cases); on the other hand, metastases to the skull, dura and orbit are really exceptional. The authors report the case of a 57-year-old woman who presented with a 6-week history of right proptosis, left hemiparesis, intracranial hypertension and torpor 8 months after surgery for uterine leiomyosarcoma. CT scan showed a very large right frontal tumor with both intracranial and intraorbital extension. At operation the tumor was found to arise from the dura of the right anterior cranial fossa; complete removal of the intracranial tumor mass and partial removal of the intraorbital component were performed. However, early tumor regrowth was observed 45 days after operation and death occurred 2 months later. Pathologic examination showed a high-grade sarcoma with smooth muscle differentiation and high mitotic activity. Immunohistochemical staining revealed positivity for actin and vimentin and negativity for S-100 protein, cytocheratin and desmin. This is the first reported case of uterine leiomyosarcoma metastatic to the dura of the anterior cranial fossa with intracranial and intraorbital extension. An aggressive surgical resection is the best treatment of intracranial metastatic leiomyosarcoma, because of the scarce response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, the outcome is poor, with early recurrence.

Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava: case report and treatment of recurrence with repeat surgery

Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is an extremely rare malignancy with poor prognosis due to late diagnosis. Surgical resection currently remains the best treatment; however, recurrence frequently occurs and the 5-year survival rate is only 31%. The aim of this study is to report a case of IVC leiomyosarcoma and treatment of recurrence with repeat surgery. A 36-year-old woman with a high-grade leiomyosarcoma originating from the infrahepatic IVC underwent an en bloc excision of the tumor. Eleven months after the initial operation, two metastases to the omentum were observed. Since the patient showed no response to adjuvant chemotherapy (i.e., a combination of 5-fluorouracil and gemcitabine), repeat operations were used as the main treatment modality for recurrence. The median time to recurrence was 15 months (range 8-27). The middle and upper IVC segments were involved in the local recurrence, and metastatic lesions occurred in multiple sites including the stomach, omentum, mesentery, left liver, and pelvic cavity. Repeat operations to remove the recurrent and metastatic tumors led to a long-term (at least 7 years) survival, and the patient is still alive. Postoperative recoveries were uneventful. Neither complication related to the venous blood flow in the IVC nor renal impairment was noted. Our results suggest that in the setting of chemotherapy-refractory IVC leiomyosarcoma repeat surgery may be an alternative treatment for recurrence and improve survival time.