New research offers a path forward with treating leptomeningeal disease in melanoma patients
Source: MD Anderson Cancer Center, September 2022
When cancer cells enter the leptomeninges, which are part of the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord, it can turn into a type of metastasis known as leptomeningeal disease (LMD).
“I describe it as a snow globe. Cancer cells can float around and can form new colonies throughout the leptomeninges of the brain and spine,” says Isabella Glitza Oliva, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Melanoma Leptomeningeal Disease Program at MD Anderson.
Cells from any primary tumor can enter the leptomeninges and cause LMD, but it’s most commonly seen in patients with breast cancer, lung cancer and melanoma. And, unfortunately, it’s not rare. LMD occurs in about 10% of patients with stage IV melanoma. Despite how many patients face this aggressive diagnosis, effective treatments are limited. Glitza Oliva says part of the challenge has been the lack of research surrounding the disease.