Brain Metastatic Prostate Adenocarcinoma: Avoiding Mistaken Identities

Abstract

Brain metastatic carcinoma is a rare occurrence among prostate cancer metastases. ⁶⁸Gallium prostate-specific membrane antigen PET-CT ([⁶⁸Ga]PSMA PET/CT) is commonly used for prostate cancer staging and detection of biochemical recurrences. However, various CNS tumors exhibit activity on [⁶⁸Ga]PSMA PET/CT and may often be included in the differential diagnosis. Herein, we present a case of brain metastatic prostate cancer successfully treated with surgical resection and adjuvant stereotactic Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) followed by androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to emphasize the need for histologic confirmation. A 70-year-old male with a history of very high-risk prostatic adenocarcinoma presented with biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy and irradiation of the prostatic fossa. [⁶⁸Ga]PSMA PET/CT and MRI identified a solitary lesion in the left occipital lobe; differential diagnosis included prostate metastasis, meningioma, or a new metastatic primary lesion. The patient underwent surgical resection, and immunohistochemical staining confirmed the lesion as brain metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma. One month after resection, the patient underwent GKRS to the tumor bed and two additional metastases, followed by ADT. Repeated imaging 15 months after GKRS revealed stable posttreatment changes with no evidence of new metastases, thus demonstrating durable, effective local and systemic control. Brain metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma without nodal or osseous metastases is a rare phenomenon. The affinity of [⁶⁸Ga]PSMA PET/CT for non-prostate histologies such as meningioma introduces uncertainty into the diagnostic process. This case demonstrates the durable local control conferred by GKRS toward these lesions and emphasizes the need for clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic data to identify disease presentations and facilitate appropriate treatment regimens.

Keywords: androgen depriving therapy; ga-68 psma (gallium-68 prostate specific membrane antigen); gamma knife (gk) radiosurgery; isolated brain metastasis; oligometastatic prostate cancer.