Intracranial Metastases

Dr. Raymond Sawaya, MD., Professor and Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, MD Anderson Medical Center, University of Texas, Houston

Intracranial metastases are the commonest cerebral tumours. Until now, no effort has been made to summarise our knowledge of intracranial metastases in the English language.This title aims to fill the gap. Intracranial Metastases is a multiauthored text by some of the best experts working in each of the subject areas covered. The text is usefully divided into four main sections. In the first section the biology, pathology, epidemiology, and neuroimaging of intracranial metastases are illustrated and thoroughly discussed. Of particular note is the first chapter on the history of treatment for intracranial metastases. In the second section the different treatment options are analysed. New treatments are brought into focus, especially those not used by most physicians who routinely treat patients with intracranial metastases (ie, the treatment of intracranial multiple metastases). The third section—of most interest for the treating physician—describes the metastatic disease in relation to the primary cancer. As a matter of fact, the clinical course of intracerebral metastasis is determined, even if only temporarily, by the type of primary tumour. Of particular interest is the chapter on leptomeningeal localisation, which is a common cause of controversy in the management and treatment of intracranial metastases. In the last section, metastasis localised in the cranial base and the neuropsychological features of the disease are explained together with a clear-cut conclusion of the text on management guidelines and decision-making. In brief, the publication of this book is long overdue, and Intracranial Metastases should be considered a reference text for family physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons, oncologists, and radiotherapists. It is concise but exhaustive. This manual has all the essential information for a correct management and therapy of this pathology. If there is one pitfall to this summary, I would say that the bibliography is not always accurately updated. This publication clearly delineates which patients should be treated and for how long, and will be important in helping physicians to avoid the overtreatment of patients. Furthermore, this book may encourage treating physicians to increase the number of patients they treat. Some of these patients will benefit from a few more months of good quality of life and some others who have germinal metastasis may even be cured. I personally like the short summaries at the end of each chapter, which bring into focus what has been read before and give a concise precis of the argument. The editor has nicely coordinated a board of experienced authors who have excellently used the knowledge and experience that they have acquired in their professional lives. Maurizio Salvati

• Contributors. Preface.Acknowledgments.I. General.1 Management of Intracranial Metastases: History.Deric Minwoo Park, MD and Jerome B. Posner, MD.2 The Epidemiology of Brain Metastasis.Dima Suki, PhD.3 The Biology of Brain Metastasis.Isaiah J. Fidler, DVM, PhD.4 Brain Metastases: Histopathologic Evaluation and Diagnostic Pitfalls.Teresa Ribalta, MD, PhD and Gregory N. Fuller, MD, PhD.5 Imaging of Metastatic Tumors of the Brain.Norman E. Leeds, MD, Edward F. Jackson, PhD, MS, BS, and Ashok J. Kumar, MD..II. Principles of Therapy.6 Intracranial Metastases: Medical Management and Prognostic Factors.Susanne M. Arnold, MD and Roy A. Patchell, MD.7 Surgical Management and Techniques.Frederick F. Lang, MD, FACS.8 Whole Brain Radiation Therapy.Ritsuko Komaki, MD, FACR and Eric Chang, MD.9 Radiosurgery for Single and Multiple Brain Metastases.Minesh P. Mehta, MD and Ivo Tremont-Lukats, MD..10 Stereotactic Radiation of Intracranial Metastases.Griffith R. Harsh IV, MD..11 Chemotherapy for Brain Metastases.Sigmund H. Hsu, MD and W. K. Alfred Yung, MD.III. Specific Tumor Sites.12 Metastatic Lung Cancer.James L. Frazier, ScB, Ira M. Garonzik, MD, and Laurence D. Rhines, MD.13 Current Management Strategies in Intracranial Breast Cancer Metastasis.Stacy Moulder, MD, David H. Johnson, MD and Steven A. Toms, MD, MPH.14 Management of Brain Metastasis in Malignant Melanoma Patients.Andrew A. Kanner, MD and Gene H. Barnett, MD.15 Brain Metastases from Renal Cell Carcinoma.Fadi Hanbali, MD and Jeffrey S. Weinberg, MD.16 Metastatic Colorectal Carcinoma.Vijayabalan Balasingam MD, PhD, FRCS (C) and Ian E. McCutcheon MD, FRCS (C).17 Brain Metastasis from Cancer of an Unknown Primary Site.Robert J. Bohinski, MD, PhD and Ronald E. Warnick, MD.18 Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis: Diagnosis and Management.Morris D. Groves, Jr., MD, JD.19 Brain Metastases from Gynecologic Cancers.Maciej S. Lesniak, MD and Alessandro Olivi, MD.20 Brain Metastases from Genitourinary Cancer: Germ Cell, Testicular, Prostate and Bladder Cancer.Philip V. Theodosopoulos, MD, James L. Rubenstein, MD, and Michael W. McDermott, MD.21 Brain Metastasis from Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Cancers: Esophageal, Gastric, Hepatic, Gallbladder, and Pancreatic.Jeffrey S. Weinberg, MD, Renato Lenzi, MD, and Ziya L. Gokaslan, MD, FACS.22 Brain Metastases From Thyroid Carcinoma and Other Endocrine Malignancies.Rena Vassilopoulou-Sellin, MD.23 Brain Metastasis From Sarcomas.Andrew E. Sloan, MD and Michael Kraut, MD..IV. Special Considerations.24 Metastatic Tumors of the Skull Base.Fadi Hanbali MD and Franco DeMonte MD, FRCSC, FACS.25 Neuropsychological Impact of the Brain Metastasis and its Treatment.Anne E. Kayl, PhD and Christina A. Meyers, PhD, ABPP.26 Adjuvant Approaches for Preventing Brain Metastases.David G. Menter, PhD, Anita L. Sabichi, MD, and Scott M. Lippman, MD.27 Intracranial Metastases: Management Guidelines and Decision Making.Syed Enam, MD and Jack P. Rock, MD.Index