Skip to main content

Brain metastases in small-cell lung cancer

  • Chapter
The Teaching Cases from Annals of Oncology

Abstract

Approximately 10% of the patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) present with brain metastases at the time of diagnosis [1] and another 40% develop symptomatic CNS involvement during or after treatment [2]. At autopsy approximately 50% will have brain metastases [3], and the cumulative risk of developing brain metastases at two years’ survival is 50%–80% [2, 4]. The prognosis after a cerebral relapse is poor, with a median survival below three months [1, 5], whereas the isolated prognostic impact of CNS involvement at initial diagnosis is minimal [6]. A small fraction of patients will benefit from radiotherapy or chemotherapy and become long-term survivors despite their CNS involvement [7].

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nugent JL, Bunn PA, Matthews MJ et al. CNS metastases in small-cell bronchogenic carcinoma. Increasing frequency and changing pattern with lengthening survival. Cancer 1979; 44: 1885–93.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bunn PA, Nugent JL, Matthews MJ. Central nervous system metastases in small-cell bronchogenic carcinoma. Semin Oncol 1978; 5: 314–22.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Hirsch FR, Paulson OB, Hansen HH, Vraa-Jensen J. Intracranial metastases in small-cell carcinoma of the lung. Correlation of clinical and autopsy findings. Cancer 1982; 50: 2433–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Pedersen AG. Diagnostic procedures in the detection of CNS metastases from small-cell lung cancer. In Hansen HH (ed): Lung Cancer: Basic and Clinical Aspects. Boston: Martinus Nijhoff 1986; 153–82.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  5. Carmichael J, Crane JM, Bunn PA et al. Results of therapeutic cranial irradiation in small-cell lung cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol BiolPhys 1988; 14: 455–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Østerlind K. Prognostic factors in small-cell lung cancer: An analysis of 874 consecutive patients. In Hansen H (ed): Lung Cancer: Basic and Clinical Aspects. Boston: Martinus Nijhoff 1986; 129–52.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  7. Giannone L, Johnson DH, Hande KR, Greco FA. Favorable prognosis of brain metastases in small-cell lung cancer. Ann Intern Med 1987; 106: 386–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Sculier JP, Feld R, Evans WK et al. Neurologic disorders in patients with small-cell lung cancer. Cancer 1987; 60: 2275–83.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lucas CF, Robinson B, Hoskin PJ et al. Morbidity of cranial relapse in small-cell lung cancer and the impact of radiation therapy. Cancer Treat Rep 1986; 70: 565–70.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Johnson BE, Becker B, Goff WB et al. Neurologic, neuropsychologic, and computed cranial tomography scan abnormalities in 2-to 10-year survivors of small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol 1985; 3: 1659–67.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bauer J, Kuntzer T, Leyvraz S. Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes. Ann Oncol 1995; 6: 291–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. DeAngelis LM. Management of brain metastases. Cancer Invest 1994; 12: 156–65.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Di Chiro G. Positron emission tomography using 18-F Fluorodeoxyglucose in brain tumors. A powerful diagnostic and prognostic tool. Invest Radiol 1986; 22: 360–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Grifeth LK, Rich KM, Dehdashti F et al. Brain metastases from non-central-nervous system tumors: Evaluation with PET. Radiology 1993; 186: 37–44.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Dearing MP, Steinberg SM, Phelps R et al. Outcome of patients with small-cell lung cancer: Effect of changes in staging procedures and imaging technology on prognostic factors over 14 years. J Clin Oncol 1990; 8: 1042–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Kristensen CA, Kristjansen PEG, Hansen HH. Systemic chemotherapy of brain metastases from small-cell lung cancer: A review. J Clin Oncol 1992; 10: 1498–502.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Jarden JO, Dhawan V, Poltorak A et al. Positron emission tomographic measurement of blood-to-brain and blood-to-tumor transport of 81-Rb: The effect of dexamethasone and whole-brain radiation therapy. Ann Neurol 1985; 18:636–46.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Greig NH. Chemotherapy of brain metastases: Current status. Cancer Treat Rev 1984; 11: 157–86.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Donelli MG, Zucchetti M, D’Incalci M. Do anticancer agents reach the tumor target in the human brain? Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 1992; 30: 251–60.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. van Hazel GA, Scott M, Eagan RT. The effect of CNS metastases of the survival of patients with small-cell cancer of the lung. Cancer 1983; 51: 933–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Black PM. Brain tumors (first of two parts). N Engl J Med 1991; 324: 1471–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Kristjansen PEG. Prophylactic cranial irradiation. In Johnson BE, Johnson DH (eds): Lung Cancer. New York: Wiley-Liss, Inc. 1995; 303–18.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Amagada R, Le Chevalier T, Borie F et al. Prophylactic cranial irradiation for patients with small-cell lung cancer in complete remission. J Natl Cancer Inst 1995; 87: 183–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Bunn PA, Kelly K. Prophylactic cranial irradiation for patients with small-cell lung cancer (Editorial). J Natl Cancer Inst 1995; 87: 161–2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lassen, U., Kristjansen, P.E.G., Hansen, H.H. (1997). Brain metastases in small-cell lung cancer. In: Souhami, R.L. (eds) The Teaching Cases from Annals of Oncology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5456-7_24

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5456-7_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-4117-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-5456-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics