Cancer Therapy& Radiation Oncology

Purpose/Objective: The prognosis of cancer patients with brain metastases has been dismal even with availability of stereotactic radiosurgery. This study is to explore the impact of post-whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) systemic treatment.

Material & Methods: A consecutive cohort of patients with brain metastases were treated with WBRT with a dose-fractionation of mostly 30 Gy in 12 fractions, daily treatment, five days per week. Data was analyzed by dividing patients into group 1 patients who received post-WBRT systemic treatment and group 2 patients who did not have post-WBRT systemic treatment.

Results: Between July 1, 2005 to May 1, 2016, 65 patients’ male 31, female 34, aged 25 to 92 years old were identified. Eleven out of 65 patients received post-WBRT systemic treatment including chemotherapy (for 10 out of 11 patients) and target therapy (for 1 out of 11 patients). The median post-WBRT survival for patients who received post-WBRT systemic treatment was 14 months, compared to a much short median survival of only 3 months for patients who did not receive post-WBRT systemic treatment.

Conclusion: Post-WBRT systemic treatment increases the overall survival of patients with brain metastases.