J. Kerger MD, PhD

Brain metastases: an unusual dissemination of heterologous carcinosarcoma of the uterus

SUMMARY

Uterine carcinosarcomas or mixed malignant mullerian tumours (MMMT) are rare gynaecological tumours with mixed carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. They are aggressive with a high risk of loco-regional and distant recurrence. Central nervous system (CNS) invasion by gynaecological malignancies is unusual and is exceptional in MMMT. There are eight reported cases of CNS metastases secondary to uterine MMMT with six cases of brain and two cases of spinal cord metastases. Here we report the case of a 50 year old woman, previously healthy, who was diagnosed with an aggressive heterologous 17x14x10 cm MMMT of the uterus, invading the whole endometrial wall, with lympho-vascular invasion and associated rhabdomyosarcoma elements. She underwent radical surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy. She recurred for the first time locally, and was treated with wide surgical resection. Six months later, she developed metastases in supra and infra-diaphragmatic lymph nodes, peritoneum and lungs. While being on palliative chemotherapy for her disseminated disease, she suffered from headache, and unfortunately 4 brain metastatic lesions were seen on brain MRI. Clinicians must be aware of this exceptional metastatic location of MMMT. However, there are no guidelines to screen, prevent or treat CNS metastases secondary to MMMT.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2017;11(6):284–288)

Highlights in gynaecological cancers

Highlights in gynaecological cancer

Summary

ESMO 2016 not only reflected the increasing interest in oncology by attracting close to 20.000 participants, but also featured the presentation of several important abstracts that may lead to changes in the daily clinical management of gynaecological cancers. This was especially the case for ovarian carcinomas.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2016;10(8):301–07)

Highlights in gynaecological cancer

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2016;10:170–176)

Highlights in gynaecological cancers

There were very few new interesting and no practice-changing data presented at the 2015 European Cancer Congress, compared to the ASCO Annual Meeting earlier this year. This lack of presentations is most probably due to the upcoming meeting of ESGO (European Society of Gynecologic Oncology), which was held in Nice end of October 2015.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2015;9:225–28)

Highlights in gynaecological cancers

The studies in gynaecological cancers presented at this year’s ASCO Annual Meeting, although not reporting breakthrough practice-changing results, are in line with the trend towards targeted therapies witnessed in recent years. In addition to this, several studies confirm the potential of immunotherapy in this setting.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2015;9:149–53)

Highlights in gynaecological cancer

Notwithstanding the fact that no breaking, practice-changing studies were presented in the sessions devoted to gynaecological cancers at this years’ annual ESMO meeting, the strong trend towards targeted therapies was confirmed, in accordance with the general theme of “precision medicine” at this meeting.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2014;8(4):147–51)