Brain metastases in adult patients with melanoma of unknown primary in the Netherlands (2011–2020)

Abstract

Abstract Background Although patients with melanoma of unknown primary (MUP) have a better prognosis than similar-staged melanoma patients with known primary, the occurrence of brain metastases (BM) entails a serious complication. This study provides an overview of the incidence, treatment patterns, and overall survival (OS) of adult patients with BM-MUP in the Netherlands. Methods BM-MUP cases were retrieved from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patient, disease and treatment-related characteristics were summarised using descriptive statistics. Overall survival (OS) was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the impact of prognostic factors on OS was assessed using Cox proportional hazard regression analyses. Results Among 1,779 MUP patients, 450 were identified as BM-MUP (25.3%). Of these patients, 381 (84.7%) presented with BM along with other metastases, while 69 (15.3%) had BM only. BM-MUP patients were predominantly male (68.2%), and had a median age of 64 years at diagnosis (interquartile range 54–71 years). Over time, the proportion of BM along other metastatic sites increased, and the occurrence of BM decreased (p = 0.01). 1-Year OS improved for the total population, from 30.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 19.8–40.9%) in 2011–2012 to 43.6% (95%CI: 34.5–52.3%) in 2019–2020, and median OS more than doubled from 4.2 months (95%CI: 3.3–6.2 months) to 9.8 months (95%CI: 7.0–13.2 months). Patient’s age, localisation of BM, presence of synchronous liver metastasis and treatment were identified as independent predictors of OS. Conclusion Notwithstanding the progress made in OS for patients with BM-MUP in the past decade, their overall prognosis remains poor, and further efforts are needed to improve outcomes.