Endocrinology Unit, Dept. of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, Catania, Italy.
Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Thyroid. 2024 Oct;34(10):1194-1204. doi: 10.1089/thy.2024.0240. Epub 2024 Sep 4.
Brain metastases (BM) are the most common intracranial neoplasms in adults and are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The brain is an unusual site for distant metastases of thyroid cancer; indeed, the most common sites are lungs and bones. In this narrative review, we discuss about the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment options for patients with BM from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). BM can be discovered before initial therapy due to symptoms, but in most patients, BM is diagnosed during follow-up because of imaging performed before starting tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) or due to the onset of neurological symptoms. Older male patients with follicular thyroid cancer (FTC), poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC), and distant metastases may have an increased risk of developing BM. The gold standard for detection of BM is magnetic resonance imaging with contrast agent administration, which is superior to contrast-enhanced computed tomography. The treatment strategies for patients with BM from DTC remain controversial. Patients with poor performance status are candidates for palliative and supportive care. Neurosurgery is usually reserved for cases where symptoms persist despite medical treatment, especially in patients with favorable prognostic factors and larger lesions. It should also be considered for patients with a single BM in a surgically accessible location, particularly if the primary disease is controlled without other systemic metastases. Additionally, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) may be the preferred option for treating small lesions, especially those in inaccessible areas of the brain or when surgery is not advisable. Whole brain radiotherapy is less frequently used in treating these patients due to its potential side effects and the debated effectiveness. Therefore, it is typically reserved for cases involving multiple BM that are too large for SRS. TKIs are effective in patients with progressive radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer and multiple metastases. Although routine screening for BM is not recommended, older male patients with FTC or PDTC and distant metastases may be at higher risk and should be carefully evaluated for BM. According to current data, patients who are suitable for neurosurgery seem to have the highest survival benefit, while SRS may be appropriate for selected patient.
脑转移(BM)是成年人中最常见的颅内肿瘤,也是发病率和死亡率的重要原因。甲状腺癌的脑转移是一种罕见的远处转移部位;事实上,最常见的部位是肺部和骨骼。在本叙述性综述中,我们讨论了分化型甲状腺癌(DTC)患者 BM 的临床特征、诊断和治疗选择。BM 可因症状而在初始治疗前被发现,但在大多数患者中,BM 是在开始酪氨酸激酶抑制剂(TKI)治疗前进行的影像学检查或由于出现神经系统症状而被诊断出来的。老年男性、滤泡状甲状腺癌(FTC)、低分化甲状腺癌(PDTC)和远处转移的患者可能有更高的 BM 发病风险。BM 的检测金标准是磁共振成像(MRI)联合造影剂,优于对比增强 CT。DTC 患者 BM 的治疗策略仍存在争议。身体状况不佳的患者是姑息和支持治疗的候选者。神经外科手术通常保留给症状经药物治疗后仍持续存在的病例,特别是在预后因素良好和病变较大的患者中。对于手术部位可到达的单发 BM 患者,也应考虑手术治疗,特别是对于原发性疾病无其他全身转移且控制良好的患者。此外,立体定向放射外科(SRS)可能是治疗小病变的首选方法,尤其是对于大脑中难以到达的区域或手术不可行的情况下。由于其潜在的副作用和有争议的有效性,全脑放疗在治疗这些患者中较少使用。因此,它通常保留用于涉及太大而无法进行 SRS 的多发性 BM 的病例。TKI 对进行性放射性碘难治性甲状腺癌和多发性转移患者有效。尽管不建议常规筛查 BM,但老年男性、FTC 或 PDTC 以及远处转移的患者可能风险更高,应仔细评估 BM。根据现有数据,适合神经外科手术的患者似乎具有最高的生存获益,而 SRS 可能适合某些患者。
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