Complete remission of brain metastases from ovarian carcinoma with carboplatin

Central nervous system involvement by epithelial ovarian carcinoma is rare. We report the case of a 49 year old woman with stage IV serous carcinoma of the ovary who developed multiple cerebral and cerebellar metastases 7 months after achieving complete response to platin-based chemotherapy. Eight courses of carboplatin (400 mg/m(2)) were administered and after the second cycle complete remission of the brain deposits occured. The treatment afforded rapid subjective and objective relief and was associated with a good quality of life. Abdominal recurrent disease was diagnosed 22 months after treatment for brain involvement. Paltin-based chemotherapy was reinstated, but the patient died from progressive adbominal disease without any sign of cerebral involvement and any neurological symptomatology. Carboplatin should be considered for the treatment of ovarian carcinoma metastatic to the brain. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.