Case report of two long term ovarian cancer survivors with brain metastases following multimodal treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and maintenance olaparib: An institutional case series and literature review

Abstract

Brain metastasis from ovarian cancer is a very rare condition with a poor prognosis. However, due to its rarity, there is no established treatment strategy. We present a case series of brain metastasis with ovarian cancer, focusing on two long-term survivors treated with multimodal therapy. Among the nine cases, the median survival time after brain metastases was six months (range: 0–58 months). Eight patients had high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC). Three of the four patients who underwent genetic testing tested positive for germline BRCA2 (gBRCA2) mutation. Two patients survived longer than 4 years after the diagnosis of brain metastases. Both of these patients received chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and olaparib, a molecularly targeted drug, as maintenance therapy. This case series suggests that patients with gBRCA2 mutation-positive HGSC may be at a high risk of developing brain metastases. A multidisciplinary approach, including PARP inhibitors, may improve the prognosis of patients with brain metastases from ovarian cancer.

Keywords

• Ovarian cancer
• Brain metastasis
• PARP inhibitors
• Olaparib