Lymphomatous meningitis is a condition that occurs when a patient's primary cancer spreads to the lining of the spinal cord and brain.
Each year, about 6,000 people are diagnosed with lymphomatous meningitis.
However, experts say many patients go undiagnosed because of the many different symptoms. If the disease is not caught, the patient usually dies within four to six weeks.
If the disease is diagnosed, it is rarely cured. In the past, many thought the condition could not be treated, but doctors said that is not the case today.
DepoCyt is one treatment that has shown some success in patients diagnosed with lymphomatous meningitis.
DepoCyt is an injectable, slow-release form of the chemotherapy agent cytarabine. In 1999, the manufacturers of this drug voluntarily removed the drug from the market. Upon routine testing, it was discovered that certain batches of DepoCyt did not meet all regulatory specifications.
Last year, the manufacturer received clearance from the FDA to return the drug to the market. The drug is the only FDA approved treatment for patients diagnosed with lymphomatous meningitis.
DepoCyt works by gradually releasing cytarabine into the cerebral spinal fluid through a reservoir in the brain. The reservoir is inserted during a simple operation into the head. Doctors can then inject the drug directly into this reservoir when treatment is needed.
A number of studies have shown that DepoCyt is more effective for patients with lymphomatous meningitis than other available treatments.
One multi-center study showed treatment with DepoCyt resulted in a 41 percent response rate versus a 6 percent response rate with the standard cytarabine.
Another study compared DepoCyt to the drug methotrexate. Researchers treated 30 patients with DepoCyt and 30 patients with methotrexate. They found 26 percent of the patients on DepoCyt responded to the treatment and 20 percent on methotrexate responded.
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Furthermore, the patients on DepoCyt survived an average of 105 days, and those on methotrexate survived 78 days.
Besides improved survival, there is another benefit to DepoCyt. The drug only has to be given once every two weeks compared to the standard treatment that is given two to three times a week.
The most common side effect from DepoCyt is arachnoiditis, or the inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord. This can cause symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting and fever. Some patients may also experience hydrocephalus, or swelling around the brain.
