Radical treatment of brain metastasis of colorectal-cancer.

Among 15 patients with brain metastases from colorectal cancer, the eight patients treated by open surgery+whole brain irradiation (35-45 Gy) or gamma-knife surgery had significant improvement in their neurologic symptoms and were able to return to their daily life. Survival from the time of diagnosis of brain metastases to death averaged 7.6 months in these radically-treated patients compared to 1.7 months in the conventional group (p<0.05). If performance status permits, aggressive treatment such as open surgery or gamma-knife surgery should be an option for treatment of brain metastasis of colorectal cancer.