TY - JOUR
T1 - Seizures and epilepsy in cancer patients
AU - Avila, Edward K.
AU - Graber, Jerome
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2010/1
Y1 - 2010/1
N2 - Seizures in the general population may occur for a variety of reasons, including vascular, infectious, autoimmune, genetic, and traumatic causes. In the cancer population, seizures arise mainly as a result of an infiltrative neoplastic process in the brain. However, seizures as a result of cancer treatment, metabolic causes, or paraneoplastic diseases may occur in patients with systemic cancer, even in the absence of a cerebral lesion. The etiology of seizures in brain tumor patients includes primary cerebral neoplasms and metastatic brain lesions. The treatment for seizures in this population is multifaceted and involves surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and antiepileptic drugs. All treatments have potential adverse effects, especially when combined. The treatment for brain tumor-associated seizures and epilepsy almost always is geared toward treating the tumor, but subsequent treatment of seizures often is necessary. A pragmatic approach to this problem is essential to mitigate potential complications from treatment.
AB - Seizures in the general population may occur for a variety of reasons, including vascular, infectious, autoimmune, genetic, and traumatic causes. In the cancer population, seizures arise mainly as a result of an infiltrative neoplastic process in the brain. However, seizures as a result of cancer treatment, metabolic causes, or paraneoplastic diseases may occur in patients with systemic cancer, even in the absence of a cerebral lesion. The etiology of seizures in brain tumor patients includes primary cerebral neoplasms and metastatic brain lesions. The treatment for seizures in this population is multifaceted and involves surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and antiepileptic drugs. All treatments have potential adverse effects, especially when combined. The treatment for brain tumor-associated seizures and epilepsy almost always is geared toward treating the tumor, but subsequent treatment of seizures often is necessary. A pragmatic approach to this problem is essential to mitigate potential complications from treatment.
KW - Antiepileptic drugs
KW - Cancer
KW - Non convulsive status epilepticus
KW - Seizures
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U2 - 10.1007/s11910-009-0080-z
DO - 10.1007/s11910-009-0080-z
M3 - Review article
C2 - 20425228
AN - SCOPUS:77649182172
VL - 10
SP - 60
EP - 67
JO - Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports
JF - Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports
SN - 1528-4042
IS - 1
ER -