LAUSR

BACKGROUND Uterine malignant tumors [uterine cervical carcinoma (UCC), uterine endometrial carcinoma (UEC), and uterine sarcoma (US)] are common in women. Brain metastases from uterine malignant tumors are rare, but its incidence has been increasing. The present study aimed to investigate the characteristics of brain metastases from uterine malignant tumors, evaluate predictive factors, and assess the efficacy of gamma knife surgery (GKS) for metastases from uterine malignant tumors. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with brain metastases from uterine malignant tumors treated at Tokyo Gamma Unit Center from 2005 to 2017. RESULTS We identified 37 patients: 16 had UCC, 12 had UEC, and nine had US. Their median age at diagnosis of brain metastases was 54.0 years. The median interval from diagnosis of uterine malignant tumor to brain metastases was 21.0 months, median number of brain metastases was 3.0, and median Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) at first GKS was 80%. The median survival time after first GKS was 6.0 months. All patients had other metastases. Six-month and one-year survival rates after first GKS were 48.9% and 32.6%, respectively, and the tumor control rate at 6 months after GKS was 90.8%. Brain metastases from UCC was significantly correlated with good tumor control (p=0.024). Multivariate analysis determined that KPS was significantly associated with patient survival (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The results of our study suggest that GKS is an acceptable choice for controlling brain metastases from uterine malignant tumors. And especially, GKS provides excellent local control for metastases from UCC.