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Brain metastases in children with melanoma
Author(s) -
RodriguezGalindo Carlos,
Pappo Alberto S.,
Kaste Sue C.,
Rao Baskar N.,
Cain Alvida,
Jenkins Jesse J.,
Kun Larry E.,
Pratt Charles B.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19970615)79:12<2440::aid-cncr22>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - medicine , melanoma , incidence (geometry) , brain metastasis , radiation therapy , cancer , metastasis , disease , chemotherapy , surgery , radiology , physics , cancer research , optics
BACKGROUND Brain metastases complicate the course of malignant melanoma in at least 20% of adult cases. These events are commonly preceded by metastases to other sites. Due to the rarity of malignant melanoma in children, little is known about the incidence, clinical features, and outcome of children with melanoma who develop brain metastases. METHODS The authors reviewed the records of 44 children with malignant melanoma treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital over a 33‐year period. Eight (18%) developed brain metastases during the course of their disease. The authors reviewed the clinical and radiologic features of six of these cases, for whom complete clinical information and imaging studies were available. RESULTS The median age at diagnosis of malignant melanoma was 15 years (range, 11‐21 years). Brain metastases developed a median of 20 months (range, 0‐50 months) after diagnosis and were preceded by metastases to other organs in 5 patients. In most cases, lesions were supratentorial and multiple. Most showed radiologic signs of intralesional hemorrhage. All patients received whole brain radiotherapy, and one had surgical resection. Three patients received chemotherapy. Five patients died a median of 5 months (range, 2‐10 months) after diagnosis of brain involvement. One patient, who had a single brain metastasis at diagnosis, is alive more than 34 months later. CONCLUSIONS Brain metastases develop in a significant proportion of children with malignant melanoma and are associated with a poor outcome. The incidence, features, and outcome in children do not appear to differ from those in adults. Cancer 1997; 79:2440‐5. © 1997 American Cancer Society.