Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39704899›Full record

ReviewJournal of neuro-oncology2025

Cerebral spinal fluid analyses and therapeutic implications for leptomeningeal metastatic disease.

Jie Wei Zhu, Megan Shum, Maleeha A Qazi, Arjun Sahgal, Sunit Das, Matthew Dankner, Ines Menjak, Mary Jane Lim-Fat, Katarzyna J Jerzak

Registry-linked trialAbstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of neuro-oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07476781 (Exploring the Feasibility of Cerebrospinal Fluid), which is not on this map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07476781 narecruitingnot on this map

Exploring the Feasibility of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) and Blood Plasma Liquid Biopsy in Patients With Metastatic Solid Tumours and Primary Central Nervous System (CNS) Tumours: A Pilot Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorSunnybrook Health Sciences CentreRan2025 to 2026Enrolled60ConditionsSolid Tumor Malignancies, Brain Metastasases, Leptomeningeal Disease (LMD), Central Nervous SystemArmsOne time CSF and blood sample
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jie Wei Zhu *Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Megan Shum *Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Maleeha A QaziDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Arjun SahgalDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sunit DasDepartment of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Matthew DanknerDepartment of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Ines MenjakDepartment of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Mary Jane Lim-FatDivision of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Katarzyna J JerzakDepartment of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. katarzyna.jerzak@sunnybrook.ca.

Funding

Pfizer Pfizer
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo review applications of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers for the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of leptomeningeal metastatic disease (LMD) among patients with metastatic solid tumors.

methodsA narrative review identified original research related to CSF biomarkers among patients with metastatic solid tumors and LMD. Pre-clinical research (e.g. studies conducted in animal models) was not included. A descriptive analysis of literature was undertaken, with a focus on clinical applications related to the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of LMD.

resultsThe low cellularity of CSF in comparison to plasma is an advantage for liquid biopsy, given that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is not significantly diluted by genomic DNA from non-cancer cells. This results in higher variant allelic frequencies and increased sensitivity in detecting ctDNA compared to plasma. However, the clinical significance of positive ctDNA and/or circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the CSF, particularly in the absence of other signs of LMD (either clinical and/or radiological), remains unclear. While the use of CSF liquid biopsy to monitor treatment response is promising, this approach requires prospective validation using larger sample sizes prior to adoption in routine clinical care. Discovery efforts involving proteomics and metabolomics have potential to identify proteins involved in the regulation of energy metabolism, vasculature, and inflammation in LMD, which in turn, may offer insights into novel treatment approaches.

conclusionCSF liquid biopsy should be incorporated in prospective studies for patients with LMD to validate promising diagnostic and/or predictive biomarkers of treatment response, as well as new therapeutic targets.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorMeningeal CarcinomatosisMeningeal NeoplasmsAnimalsCirculating Tumor DNAHumansLiquid BiopsyNeoplastic Cells, CirculatingBiomarkers, TumorCirculating Tumor DNABiomarkersCerebral spinal fluidCirculating tumor cellsCirculating tumor DNALeptomeningeal metastatic diseaseLiquid biopsy

Identifiers

PMID39704899

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.