THE USE OF CEREBRAL COMPUTER-ASSISTED TOMOGRAPHY AS A STAGING INVESTIGATION OF PATIENTS WITH CARCINOMA OF THE BREAST AND MALIGNANT-MELANOMA

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 151  (3) , 385-386
Abstract
Computer assisted tomography [CAT] of the brain, even when contrast medium enhanced, does not contribute to the detection of occult intracerebral metastases in patients with primary carcinoma of the breast and of malignant melanoma, even if the disease is locally advanced. Although the yield of positive scans in those 31 patients with metastatic, or locally recurrent, disease, but no neurologic symptoms, was found to be 13% at follow-up study, this would not appear to be a profitable investigation in the absence of effective therapy. In the patients with neurologic symptoms, abnormal and positive scans were obtained in 5 of 18 patients. However, even in such patients, a negative CAT did not exclude intracerebral metastatic disease. There is no place for routine CAT as a staging investigation for patients with early carcinoma of the breast or with malignant melanoma. Its use should be restricted to those patients who have symptoms of cerebral disease.

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