Incidence of brain metastasis in esophageal cancer.

Abstract

46 Background: Brain metastasis in oesophageal cancer is a rare but often fatal complication. In previous studies the incidence has ranged from 1.4% - 13% with the largest studies from China and Japan that have been retrospectively based over fifteen to twenty years. (Ogawa K, Toita T, Sueyama H. Brain metastases from esophageal carcinoma: natural history, prognostic factors, and outcome. Cancer. 2002 Feb 1;94(3):759-64.) With improving diagnostic techniques and differing histology of oesophageal cancer from Eastern countries we undertook a study to determine the incidence of brain metastases in oesophageal cancers in the West of Scotland. Methods: Data from all the new patients diagnosed with oesophageal cancer was obtained with permission from the Regional Managed Clinical Network from the years 2011 and 2012 yielding a total of 701 patients. The individual clinical records were examined to ascertain if the patient developed brain metastases on CT/MRI scan, their tumour type and management. Results: Of the 701 patients diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, 19 developed brain metastasis demonstrating an incidence of 2.7%. 12 of these patients primary diagnosis was adenocarcinoma. The others were small cell (3), neuroendocrine (2), squamous (1) and no histology (1). At the time of writing 17 out of 19 patients had died from their oesophageal cancer. The 2 surviving patients had a single brain metastasis that was resected and treated with adjuvant radiotherapy. 6 other patients had whole brain radiotherapy, 1 patient had partial brain radiotherapy and 10 were managed with best supportive care. Mean survival from diagnosis of brain metastasis for best supportive care was 26 +/- 14 days versus mean survival for radiotherapy treatment from 100+/- 57 days (p = 0.003) demonstrating a difference between the groups. Conclusions: The incidence of brain metastasis in oesophageal cancer in the West of Scotland was 2.7% with the prognosis generally poor unless resected.

The risk and prognostic factors for brain metastases in esophageal cancer patients: an analysis of the SEER database

“…After evaluating 157 esophageal cancer patients with brain metastases, Ai and associates found that adenocarcinoma was associated with a higher risk for developing brain metastases, whereas squamous cell cancer was associated with a lower risk of brain metastases [ 9 ]. Other studies also reported that the most common histological type accompanied by brain metastases was adenocarcinoma [ 6 , 12 ]. The mechanism behind the increased risk of brain metastases in esophageal adenocarcinoma may be related to the overexpression of HER2 [ 13 , 14 ].…”