Outcomes and clinical features of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis: A single center experience

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the clinical features and prognostic factors of cancer patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC) in a single center. Patients and Methods: Patients 18 and older who had LMC diagnosis between 2013 and 2018 at Medical Oncology Department, Antalya Education and Research Hospital, Health Sciences University were included into the study. Their clinical features, treatment approaches, overall survival, survival after LMC diagnosis and prognostic factors on survival were retrospectively investigated. Results: Sixteen solid cancer patients included in the study. The median time from primary tumor diagnosis to LMC diagnosis was 6 months (range, 1-180 months). The median time from LMC diagnosis to death was 1.5 months (range, 1-14 months). The median overall survival for the entire population was 11 months (95%CI 5.7-16.3). Age (p=0.6), gender (p=0.51), metastases areas (for liver metastases p=0.95, for lung metastases p=0.26, for bone metastases p=0.82), The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) (p=0.18), treatment type of LMC (only radiation therapy (RT) p=0.33; RT followed by intrathecal methotrexate (IT MTX) (p=0.35), RT type (p=0.76) and time from primary tumor diagnosis to LMC diagnosis (p=0.50) did not show prognostic effect on overall survival after LMC diagnosis. Conclusion: Overall survival after LMC diagnosis is too short to see the effect of treatment modalities. Our study did not find any favorable or unfavorable prognostic factor on survival after LMC diagnosis.