Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of study patients
| Variable | N (%) |
| Gender | |
| Male | 32 (74%) |
| Female | 11 (26%) |
| Basis for LMD diagnosis | |
| CSF and radiology positive | 23 (53%) |
| CSF positive only | 8 (19%) |
| Radiology positive only | 9 (21%) |
| Surgical pathology positive only | 3 (7%) |
| Mutation status | |
| BRAF mutant | 21 (49%) |
| NRAS mutant | 9 (21%) |
| BRAF/NRAS wild-type | 3 (7%) |
| Other (KIT, ABL1, CDKN2A) |
3 (7%) |
| Unknown | 7 (16%) |
| Prior systemic therapy | |
| No | 11 (26%) |
| Yes | 32 (74%) |
| Temozolomide | |
| No | 29 (67%) |
| Yes | 14 (33%) |
| Immunotherapy | |
| No | 23 (53%) |
| Yes | 20 (47%) |
| Prior immunotherapy received | |
| Biochemotherapy (containing IL-2 and interferon regimen) |
9 (21%) |
| High-dose IL-2 | 4 (9%) |
| Adoptive cell therapy | 3 (7%) |
| Ipilimumab | 4 (9%) |
| Anti-PD1 | 3 (7%) |
| BRAF or BRAF/MEK inhibitors | |
| No | 32 (74%) |
| Prior radiation therapy | |
| No | 16 (37%) |
| Yes | 27 (63%) |
| Steroids | |
| No | 26 (60%) |
| Yes | 17 (40%) |
| Previous parenchymal brain metastases | |
| No | 9 (21%) |
| Yes | 34 (79%) |
| LDH > ULN | |
| No | 15 (35%) |
| Yes | 28 (65%) |
| Neurological symptoms present | |
| No | 22 (51%) |
| Yes | 21 (49%) |
| Extracranial disease | |
| None/LMD only | 12 (28%) |
| Systemic controlled | 20 (47%) |
| Systemic uncontrolled | 11 (26%) |
| Concomitant therapy | |
| None | 27 (63%) |
| Immunotherapy | 2 (5%) |
| Targeted* | 7 (16%) |
| Temozolomide | 2 (5%) |
| Radiation | 5 (12%) |
Definition of extracranial disease: none = no concurrent systemic disease; LMD only = LMD with no prior or concurrent systemic disease, and patient never diagnosed with parenchymal brain metastases; systemic controlled = concurrent but controlled systemic disease; systemic uncontrolled = progressive systemic disease.
*BRAF inhibitor ± MEK inhibitor.
CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; IL, interleukin; LDH, lactic dehydrogenase; LMD, leptomeningeal disease; ULN, upper limit of normal.