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Predictive factors for the development of brain metastases in patients with malignant melanoma: a study by the Anatolian society of medical oncology

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Abstract

Background

The development of brain metastases (BMs) was associated with poor prognosis in melanoma patients. Patients with BMs have a median survival of <6 months. Melanoma is the third most common tumor to metastasize to the brain with a reported incidence of 10–40 %. Our aim was to identify factors predicting development of BMs and survival.

Patients and methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of 470 melanoma patients between 2000 and 2012. The logistic regression analyses were used to identify the clinicopathological features of primary melanoma that are predictive of BMs development and survival after a diagnosis of brain metastases.

Results

There were 52 patients (11.1 %) who developed melanoma BMs during the study period. The analysis of post-BMs with Kaplan–Meier curves has resulted in a median survival rate of 4.1 months (range 2.9–5.1 months). On logistic regression analysis site of the primary tumor on the head and neck (p = 0.002), primary tumor thickness (Breslow >4 mm) (p = 0.008), ulceration (p = 0.007), and pathologically N2 and N3 diseases (p = 0.001) were found to be significantly associated with the development of BMs. In univariate analysis, tumor thickness and performance status had a significant influence on post-BMs survival. In multivariate analysis, these clinicopathologic factors were not remained as significant predictive factors.

Conclusions

Our results revealed the importance of primary tumor characteristics associated with the development of BMs. Ulceration, primary tumor thickness, anatomic site, and pathologic ≥N2 disease were found to be significant predictors of BMs development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, Ankara, 06500, Turkey

    Ozge Gumusay, Ugur Coskun, Bulent Cetin, Efnan Algin & Suleyman Buyukberber

  2. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Balıkesir State Hospital, Balıkesir, Turkey

    Tülay Akman

  3. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    Ahmet Siyar Ekinci, Umut Demirci & Berna Oksuzoglu

  4. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Muharrem Kocar & Faysal Dane

  5. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Kartal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Özlem Balvan Erceleb & Mahmut Gumus

  6. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    Ozan Yazıcı

  7. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey

    Mehmet Ali Kaplan

  8. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey

    Veli Berk

  9. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey

    Burcu Yapar Taskoylu

  10. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey

    Ayhan Yildiz

  11. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey

    Gamze Goksel

  12. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Izmir Katip Celebi University Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey

    Ahmet Alacacioglu

  13. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon, Turkey

    Mukremin Uysal

  14. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey

    Ilhan Oztop

Authors
  1. Ozge Gumusay
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  2. Ugur Coskun
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  3. Tülay Akman
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  4. Ahmet Siyar Ekinci
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  5. Muharrem Kocar
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  6. Özlem Balvan Erceleb
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  7. Ozan Yazıcı
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  8. Mehmet Ali Kaplan
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  9. Veli Berk
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  10. Bulent Cetin
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  11. Burcu Yapar Taskoylu
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  12. Ayhan Yildiz
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  13. Gamze Goksel
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  14. Ahmet Alacacioglu
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  15. Umut Demirci
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  16. Efnan Algin
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  17. Mukremin Uysal
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  18. Ilhan Oztop
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  19. Berna Oksuzoglu
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  20. Faysal Dane
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  21. Mahmut Gumus
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  22. Suleyman Buyukberber
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ozge Gumusay.

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Gumusay, O., Coskun, U., Akman, T. et al. Predictive factors for the development of brain metastases in patients with malignant melanoma: a study by the Anatolian society of medical oncology. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 140, 151–157 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-013-1553-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-013-1553-7

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