Long-term survival in an ovarian cancer patient with brain metastases

Background. Central nervous system (CNS) metastases from ovarian adenocarcinoma are uncommon. The long-term prognosis for these patients is poor, with studies reporting a mean survival of less than 12 months. Case. We present a case involving a 57-year-old woman diagnosed and treated for primary ovarian cancer in 1994. She underwent optimal cytoreductive surgery and received adjuvant chemotherapy. In 1996, she was diagnosed with a right cerebellar metastatic lesion, and treated with surgery and whole-brain radiotherapy. She is currently 7 years post-treatment of her brain metatasis without evidence of recurrent disease. Conclusion. Brain metastases from primary ovarian cancer are a relatively rare finding. These patients have a poor prognosis, with studies reporting a mean survival of 12 months. However, the patient in this report remains disease-free since her treatment for metastatic disease. Aggressive surgical and radiation treatment for patients with isolated CNS metastases is reasonable. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.