Brain Metastasis from Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer death in the Western world, accounting for approximately 140,000 new cases and more than 51,000 deaths in 2010 in the United States. In Kuwait, CRC is the first most-diagnosed neoplasm among males and overall, the second leading cause of death from cancer. The 5-year survival rate in 2002-2004 was 61% for men and 62% for women. Even after complete resection of the colorectal tumor, distant metastases have been noted to develop in 10%-15% of patients. Of all metastases, those to the liver were found in 20%-30% of cases, and to the lung, in 10%-20%; brain metastases are quite rare. The percentage of CRC patients developing brain metastases during the course of their disease is reported to range from 2% to 12%, but the effect of such metastases on the patient's prognosis is significant. With the advent of new targeted therapies and the resulting improvements in outcome for CRC patients, the management policy for brain metastases has changed. Regardless of the therapy used to address brain metastases, reported median survival ranges from 2.8 months to 6 months. We report a case of brain metastasis in a patient of primary colorectal adenocarcinoma. He was evaluated for convulsion, CT findings showed brain metastasis.