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CNS prophylaxis

(... PROH-fih-LAK-sis)
A type of treatment that uses intrathecal chemotherapy (chemotherapy injected directly into the fluid-filled space between the thin layers of tissue that cover the brain and spinal cord) or high-dose chemotherapy injected into a vein to kill cancer cells in the central nervous system (CNS). Radiation therapy is also sometimes used. CNS prophylaxis is given when the cancer is diagnosed because standard chemotherapy cannot get into the CNS and kill cancer cells that may be hiding in there. It is used to lessen the chance cancer will come back in the CNS after the first treatment. CNS prophylaxis is used with other therapy to treat certain types of leukemia and lymphoma that may spread to the CNS. Also called central nervous system prophylaxis.
Intrathecal chemotherapy; drawing shows the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain and spinal cord, and an Ommaya reservoir (a dome-shaped container that is placed under the scalp during surgery; it holds the drugs as they flow through a small tube into the brain). Top section shows a syringe and needle injecting anticancer drugs into the Ommaya reservoir. Bottom section shows a syringe and needle injecting anticancer drugs directly into the cerebrospinal fluid in the lower part of the spinal column.Enlarge this image in new window
Intrathecal chemotherapy. Anticancer drugs are injected into the intrathecal space, which is the space that holds the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, shown in blue). There are two different ways to do this. One way, shown in the top part of the figure, is to inject the drugs into an Ommaya reservoir (a dome-shaped container that is placed under the scalp during surgery; it holds the drugs as they flow through a small tube into the brain). The other way, shown in the bottom part of the figure, is to inject the drugs directly into the CSF in the lower part of the spinal column, after a small area on the lower back is numbed.
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