Radiological Patterns of Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Patients: A Subproject of the German Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer (BMBC) Registry

TY - JOUR

T1 - Radiological Patterns of Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Patients: A Subproject of the German Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer (BMBC) Registry

AU - Laakmann, Elena

AU - Witzel, Isabell

AU - Scriba , Verena

AU - Grzyska, Ulrich

AU - Zu Eulenburg, Christine

AU - Burchardi, Nicole

AU - Hesse, Tobias

AU - Würschmidt, Florian

AU - Fehm, Tanja

AU - Möbus, Volker

AU - von Minckwitz, Gunter

AU - Loibl, Sibylle

AU - Park-Simon, Tjoung-Won

AU - Mueller, Volkmar

PY - 2016/9/23

Y1 - 2016/9/23

N2 - Evidence about distribution patterns of brain metastases with regard to breast cancer subtypes and its influence on the prognosis of patients is insufficient. Clinical data, cranial computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 300 breast cancer patients with brain metastases (BMs) were collected retrospectively in four centers participating in the Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Registry (BMBC) in Germany. Patients with positive estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) statuses, had a significantly lower number of BMs at diagnosis. Concerning the treatment mode, HER2-positive patients treated with trastuzumab before the diagnosis of BMs showed a lower number of intracranial metastases (p < 0.001). Patients with a HER2-positive tumor-subtype developed cerebellar metastases more often compared with HER2-negative patients (59.8% vs. 44.5%, p = 0.021), whereas patients with triple-negative primary tumors had leptomeningeal disease more often (31.4% vs. 18.3%, p = 0.038). The localization of Brain metastases (BMs) was associated with prognosis: patients with leptomeningeal disease had shorter survival compared with patients without signs of leptomeningeal disease (median survival 3 vs. 5 months, p = 0.025). A shorter survival could also be observed in the patients with metastases in the occipital lobe (median survival 3 vs. 5 months, p = 0.012). Our findings suggest a different tumor cell homing to different brain regions depending on subtype and treatment.

AB - Evidence about distribution patterns of brain metastases with regard to breast cancer subtypes and its influence on the prognosis of patients is insufficient. Clinical data, cranial computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 300 breast cancer patients with brain metastases (BMs) were collected retrospectively in four centers participating in the Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Registry (BMBC) in Germany. Patients with positive estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) statuses, had a significantly lower number of BMs at diagnosis. Concerning the treatment mode, HER2-positive patients treated with trastuzumab before the diagnosis of BMs showed a lower number of intracranial metastases (p < 0.001). Patients with a HER2-positive tumor-subtype developed cerebellar metastases more often compared with HER2-negative patients (59.8% vs. 44.5%, p = 0.021), whereas patients with triple-negative primary tumors had leptomeningeal disease more often (31.4% vs. 18.3%, p = 0.038). The localization of Brain metastases (BMs) was associated with prognosis: patients with leptomeningeal disease had shorter survival compared with patients without signs of leptomeningeal disease (median survival 3 vs. 5 months, p = 0.025). A shorter survival could also be observed in the patients with metastases in the occipital lobe (median survival 3 vs. 5 months, p = 0.012). Our findings suggest a different tumor cell homing to different brain regions depending on subtype and treatment.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.3390/ijms17101615

DO - 10.3390/ijms17101615

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 27669228

VL - 17

SP - E1615

JO - INT J MOL SCI

JF - INT J MOL SCI

SN - 1661-6596

IS - 10

ER -