Brain metastases from colorectal carcinoma.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Brain metastases are an unusual finding in patients with colorectal carcinoma. We wished to determine the clinical presentation, the time interval between the diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma and the appearance of brain metastases, and the overall survival. PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: The median age of our patients was 61 years. Brain metastases developed subsequently to the diagnosis of colorectal cancer in nine patients. All patients had neurologic symptoms. All patients had progressing systemic disease at the moment of intracranial presentation. Four patients received whole brain radiation therapy. The median survival was 11 weeks. DISCUSSION: The development of brain metastasis is a late event in the course of colorectal carcinoma and occurs most often in patients with extensive systemic disease that contraindicates surgical resection. Radiotherapy can improve the survival of this group of patients whereas the role of chemotherapy is still unclear due to the low frequency of such cases.

Duodenal obstruction secondary to a metastasis from an adenocarcinoma of the cecum: a case report.

Metastatic tumors to the gastrointestinal tract are rare; the stomach and small bowel are the most common organs involved. Lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, breast carcinoma, and malignant melanoma are the most common primary tumors metastatic to the duodenum. We report a metastasis to the duodenum from an adenocarcinoma of the cecum presenting as a duodenal obstruction 4.5 yr after the surgical resection of the primary tumor. The condition of the patient was temporarily controlled with the implantation of an endoduodenal metallic prosthesis as a palliative measure.