Diagnosis and treatment of meningeal carcinomatosis in ten patients with breast cancer.

Clinical and radiological findings of 10 breast cancer patients with meningeal carcinomatosis were recorded. Special attention was drawn to CSF findings. Initial CSF cytology revealed malignant cells in all cases with a background of inflammatory cells in 7. Oligoclonal bands were found in the CSF of 3 out of 5 cases examined. Repeated CSF control under therapy showed elevation of lactate to be a better diagnostic parameter than lowered glucose. Six patients responded well to CNS radiation therapy and intrathecal chemotherapy. Median duration of survival was 6.4 months.