Improved quality of life in a patient with carcinomatous meningitis from invasive lobular carcinoma treated with intrathecal MTX and Ara-C in combination with systemic docetaxel

摘要

Carcinomatous meningitis from breast cancer is rare and has a poor prognosis with a life expectancy of approximately 80 days. We performed intrathecal MTX and Ara-C in combination with systemic docetaxel treatments in the patient, a 44-year-old woman with carcinomatous meningitis from invasive lobular carcinoma previously treated with anthracycline and paclitaxel. Although the patient died 128 days after the onset, intrathecal chemotherapy in combination with systemic docetaxel reduced the number of malignant cells and induced degeneration of the cells in CSF, resulting in improved quality of life.