Eslicarbazepine in patients with brain tumor-related epilepsy: a single-center experience

Abstract

Purpose

Brain tumor-related epilepsy (BTRE) is frequent in patients affected with glioma. Most patients have refractory seizures and require polytherapy. Promising treatment options derive from the development of novel anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), like Eslicarbazepine (ESL), whose role in BTRE has not yet been explored. Our aim was to report a retrospective cohort of patients affected by BTRE treated with ESL as an adjunctive therapy and to discuss the potential role of this third-generation AED in this clinical context.

Methods

We analyzed a single-center, retrospectively collected cohort of patients affected by glioma and BTRE, treated with ESL as an adjunctive therapy.

Results

Analysis included 5 males and 3 females with age ranging from 37 to 75 years (mean = 55.5). Mean baseline Karnofsky performance status was 87.5 (range 70–100). Patients were affected by diffuse astrocytoma (3), low grade oligodendroglioma (2), anaplastic glioma (2) and glioblastoma (1). Mean follow-up was 19 months (range 6–59). Mean dose at the last follow-up was 950 mg daily. Mean weekly seizures in the month before initiation of ESL numbered 17.6 (range 0.25–50). At the last follow-up, mean weekly seizures were 2.2 (range 0–10), i.e. significantly lower than baseline (p = 0.03). The mean reduction of seizures achieved after introduction of ESL was 65%, with 6/8 patients (75%) showing a reduction of more than 50%. Two patients (25%) were seizure free.

Conclusions

This single-center experience suggests that ESL may be a well-tolerated, efficacious option as an add-on drug in the treatment of BTRE.

Keywords:

• Eslicarbazepine
• tumor
• glioma
• epilepsy

Acknowledgment

The authors thank Mario Ermani (Padua, Italy) for statistical analysis and Joanne Fleming for reviewing the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).