Skip to main content
Log in

Meningeal carcinomatosis from breast cancer: Spinal cord vs. brain involvement

  • Report
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Twenty-two patients with meningeal carcinoma due to breast cancer were restrospectively evaluated to determine what prognostic factors affected survival. Five patients survived for more than one year. The therapy in these long-term survivors was similar to that of those suffering early death. Patients with primarily brain symptoms survived a median of 21 days vs. 150 days in those with primarily spinal cord symptoms (p = 0.026). The site of involvement may be an important stratification parameter for future prospective trials.

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

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  1. Little JR, Dale AJD, Okazaki H: Meningeal carcinomatosis: Clinical manifestations. Arch Neurol 30: 138–143, 1974

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Olson ME, Chernik NL, Posner JB: Infiltration of the leptomeninges by systemic cancer. A clinical and pathologic study. Arch Neurol 30: 122–137, 1974

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Posner JB, Chernik NL: Intracranial metastases from systemic cancer. Adv Neurol 19: 579–592, 1978

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Sorensen SC, Eagan RT, Scott M: Meningeal carcinomatosis in patients with primary breast or lung cancer. Mayo Clinic Proc 59: 91–94, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  5. Wasserstrom WR, Glass JP, Posner JB: Diagnosis and treatment of leptomeningeal metastases for solid tumors: Experience with 90 patients. Cancer 49: 759–772, 1982

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Shapiro WR, Posner JB, Ushio Y, Chernik NL, Young DF: Treatment of meningeal neoplasms. Cancer Treat Rep 61: 733–743, 1977

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Yap HY, Yap BS, Rasmussen S, Levens ME, Hortobagyi GN, Blumenschein GR: Treatment for meningeal carcinomatosis in breast cancer. Cancer 49: 219–222, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  8. Weiss GB, Bunce H, Hokanson JA: Comparing survival of responders and non-responders after treatment: A potential source of confusion in interpreting cancer clinical trials. Controlled Clinical Trials 4: 43–52, 1983

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Kaplan EL, Meier P: Non-parametric estimation from incomplete observation. J Am Stat Assoc 53: 457–481, 1958

    Google Scholar 

  10. Lee ET: Statistical Methods for Survival Data Analysis. Lifetime Learning Publications, Belmont CA, 1980, pp 123–126.

  11. Colton T: Statistics in Medicine. Little, Brown, and Co., Boston, 1974, pp 189–217

    Google Scholar 

  12. Bramlet D, Giliberti J, Bender J: Meningeal carcinomatosis. Case report and review of the literature. Neurol 26: 287–290, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  13. Murray JJ, Greco FA, Wolff SN, Hainsworth JF: Neoplastic meningitis. Am J Med 75: 289–294, 1983

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Yap BS, Yap HY, Fritsche HA, Blumenschein G, Bodey GP: CSF carcinoembryonic antigen in meningeal carcinomatosis from breast cancer. JAMA 224: 1601–1603, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  15. Wasserstrom WR, Schwartz MK, Fleisher M, Posner JB: Cerebrospinal fluid biochemical markers in central nervous system tumors: A review. Annals Clin Lab Sci 11: 239–251, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  16. Klee GG, Tallman RD, Goellner JR, Yanagihara T: Elevation of carcinoembryonic antigen in cerebrospinal fluid among patients with meningeal carcinomatosis. Mayo Clinic Proc 61: 9–13, 1986

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Supported in part by Clinical Research Center Grant RR59 of the University of Iowa.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Clamon, G., Doebbeling, B. Meningeal carcinomatosis from breast cancer: Spinal cord vs. brain involvement. Breast Cancer Res Tr 9, 213–217 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806382

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806382

Key words

Navigation