Antiepileptic drugs in treating structural epilepsy of patients with metastatic brain cancer: a combination approach

Abstract

Objective: to study the effect of perampanel on the dynamics of epileptic seizures and anxiety in patients with brain metastases and epileptic seizures during chemotherapy (CT), radiotherapy (RT), and radiochemotherapy (RCT).Material and methods. The prospective clinical study included 48 patients with lung cancer and 39 women with breast cancer who underwent removal of primary focus. After CT, RT or RCT epileptic seizures were registered. Brain metastases were revealed at brain magnetic resonance imaging data. All patients underwent general and neurological examination as well as electroencephalography. The level of anxiety was assessed by the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Рatients were prescribed perampanel by the concilium decision.Results. It was shown that administered perampanel was effective in any primary tumor location. The quantity of repeated epileptic seizures in all patients with lung and breast metastatic cancer was significantly decreased on Day 6–7 after adding perampanel to either earlier received antiepileptic drugs or as a monotherapy (p=0.0431). In the follow-up period with the median survival rate of 8–13 months, the frequency of epileptic seizures was decreased and then remained stable. Perampanel as mono- or multitherapy positively influenced on controlling anxiety disorders in 25–75% patients with brain metastases.The level of anxiety was decreased due to lowered epileptic activity.Conclusion. Based on the study results, we could recommend administration of perampanel for the treatment of metastatic brain cancers in patients with diverse primary tumors as well as both partial and generalized epileptic seizures while applying CT, RT, RCT or palliative care.