Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
3060000 Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 2013 5 Pages PDF
Abstract

Brain metastasis is a common complication of systemic cancer and significant cause of suffering in oncology patients. Despite a plethora of available treatment modalities, the prognosis is poor with a median survival time of approximately one year. For patients with controlled systemic disease, good performance status, and a limited number of metastases, treatment typically entails surgical resection or radiosurgery, followed by whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) to control microscopic disease. WBRT is known to control the progression of cancer in the brain, but it can also have toxic effects, particularly with regard to neurocognition. There is no consensus as to whether the benefit of WBRT outweighs the potential harm. We review the evidence related to the question of whether patients undergoing surgical resection of brain metastases should receive adjuvant WBRT.

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Life Sciences Neuroscience Neurology
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