Solitary cerebral metastases from intestinal carcinoma.

The authors report 34 cases of solitary cerebral metastases from intestinal cancer. In 24 cases the tumour was localized in the colonrectum and in 10 in the small intestine. In 8 patients (23%) neurological symptoms were the first clinical sign of systemic spread of the tumour; in 26 cases (77%) there was a long interval between treatment of the primary and appearance of the cerebral metastasis (average 24 months). Average survival was 10 months and was influenced solely by staging of the primary. Interestingly, the prognostic value of radiotherapy was minimal and none of the patients operated by the "no touch technique" presented with a recurrence.