CNS Flashcards
When is surgery considered as treatment for mets
Solitary or large met (>3cm)
Mets causing obstruction - hydrocephalus or raised ICP
Cystic or necrotic mets where SRS is less likely to be effective
Where histology / diagnosis will be helpful
What are the criteria for SRS
An established diagnosis of cancer
Karnofsky performance status (KPS) >70
Absent or controllable primary disease (staging scans within last 3 months)
No previous SRS/SRT in the last 3 months
Life expectancy from extracranial disease >6 months
No pressure symptoms best relieved by surgery
Contrast enhanced MRI to evaluate cerebral metastases
Maximum combined treatment volume <20cc
Discussion at an MDT meeting
What are the histological signs of a GBM
Epithelial / vascular proliferation
Necrosis
What is the pathognomic mutation of an oligodendroglioma
1p19q co-deletion
What is the pathognomic mutation of an astrocytoma (presuming high grade ancestry)
ATRX loss
(ATRX retained = GBM)
What is bright on a T1 MRI
T1 -> CSF dark & Tumour dark
What is bright on T2 MRI & FLAIR
T2 -> CSF white & Tumour bright
T2 FLAIR -> CSF dark & Tumour bright with Oedema
How do low & high grade tumours enhance with contrast
Low grade tumours tend not to enhance. High grade tumours enhance (due to endothelial / vascular proliferation)
Where and for whom do pilocytic astrocytomas occur, and how do they present
Typically in children, low grade tumour
Tend to occur in cerebellum, causing obstruction and obstructive symptoms (pressure sx and headache)
What is the dose fractionation for craniospinal irradiation for a non-germinoma
overall 54Gy/30#
36Gy/20# to whole CSA and 18Gy/10# boost to tumour bed
What are the most common mutations seen in a pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma
CDKN2A/B deletions (>90 percent)
BRAF V600E mutations (60-80 percent)
What is the benefit of adjuvant PCV in grade 2 gliomas
Buckner - 2016 NEJM
high risk Gr2 gliomas (<40yrs and subtotal resection or >40yrs) randomised to 6x adj PCV or not
PCV increased mOS to 13.3yrs from 7.8, and 10yr OS from 40% to 60%
When is immediate post-op RT indicated for a grade 2 glioma, vs at progression?
2 of:
Age >40
>6cm
Enhancement
Astrocytic
Crossing midline
Symptomatic
For primary RT to a grade 2 glioma, when is adjuvant PCV offered or not
no adjuvant PCV is given for an astrocytoma, but is for an oligodendroglioma
What is the adjuvant RT dose for a low grade glioma
54Gy/30#
What is the adjuvant dose for a grade 3 anaplastic oligodendroglioma
What adjuvant chemotherapy regime would typically follow
59.4/33#
Followed by 6x PCV adjuvant chemotherapy
12mth OS benefit to PCV adjuvantly
What is the prognosis of an anaplastic oligodendroglioma
Better prognosis than anaplatic astrocytoma
5-yr OS: 30-35%
What is the adjuvant dose for a grade 3 anaplastic astrocytoma
What adjuvant chemotherapy regime would typically follow
59.4Gy/33#
Temozolamide x12 cycles adjuvantly
Based on the catnon trial
What is the post-operative RT regimen for a Gr4 GBM if <70 and PS0-1
And if <70 & PS2
And if >70
Concomitant CRT
60Gy/30# + concurrent TMZ (75mg/m2) & Co-trimoxazole prophylaxis 480mg M/W/F
Adjuvant chemotherapy
Adjuvant TMZ 150 - 200mg/m2 - D1-5 Q28 for 6 cycles
If <70 but PS2 - give RT only, without temozolamide
> 70: 40Gy/15# +/- concomitant tmz, and based on methylation status (based on Perry trial)
What RT dose is given to a butterfly glioma
30Gy/6# over 2wks, treating M/W/F
What is the mOS for a GBM? and based on what trial
Stupp trial
CRT & adj tmz vs RT alone
Median OS: 14.6m vs 12m and PFS 6.9m vs 5m
2yr OS: 26.5% vs 10.4%
Diffuse midline H3 K27-altered midline gliomas area considered what grade
Where are they typically located
How do they typically present
Always grade 4
most commonly in the pons, or other midline structures
(thalamus, brainstem - mesencephalon, pons, medulla, spinal cord)
Present with CN palsies, raised ICP and cerebellar sx.
What is the dose constraint to brainstem
55Gy
What is the dose constraint to spinal cord
46Gy
What is the dose constraint to optic nerves
50Gy
What is the dose constraint to optic chiasm
50Gy
What is the dose constraint to lens
6Gy
What is the dose constraint to globes
45Gy
What is the dose constraint to cornea
40Gy
What is the dose constraint to retina
60Gy
What is the dose constraint to lacrimal gland
Mean <20Gy
What is the dose constraint to cochlea
Mean <45Gy
What are the acute side effects of brain RT
Alopecia
Headache
Nausea/vomiting
What are the late side effects of brain RT
Neurocognitive effect – memory loss
Pituitary hypofunction
Optic chiasm damage – may cause blindness
Cataracts
2nd malignancies = 1%
What is the most common malignant tumour of the eye and ocular adenexa.
Non-hodgkin lymphoma - treat as primary CNS lymphoma
Where do ependymomas originate from
Where is the commonest site
How do they present
Ventricles - can occur anywhere within the neuraxis, and most commonly in the spine.
Most common intracranial site is the posterior fossa
Commonly cause obstruction, so tend to present with hydrocephalus
How are ependymomas graded
G1 - subependymomas or myxopapillary ependymomas
G2 - cellular, papillary, clear cell and tanycytic
G3 - anaplastic
What are the investigations for an ependymoma
MRI brain and whole spine
MRI post op for extent of resection
CSF 14 days post op to exclude circulating tumour cells
How is an ependymoma treated, and what determines adjuvant tx
surgery - resection of primary and mets
adjuvant tx if incompletely resected
disseminated - likely CSRT with boost to all disease sites
if completely resected:
G1 - surveillance only
Gr2 - consider adjuvant tx
Gr3 - RT (adults = involved field only, children = whole CSA)