Radiotherapy of brain metastases.

The effect of radiotherapy in 254 cases of brain metastases, treated between 1977 and 1984, were studied. The cases included 141 of lung cancer, 28 of mammary cancer, and 85 of other primary sites. The percentages of patients with improvement in clinical symptoms were 8, 39, and 66, respectively. These were groups of patients irradiated with less than 30 Gy, 30 Gy to 50 Gy, and more than 50 Gy. The 50% survival periods from the start of irradiation for the last group were as follows: for radiotherapy only, 4.1 months, radiotherapy and surgery, 4.2 months, radiotherapy and chemotherapy combined, 6.9 months, radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy combined, 12.1 months. The intervals between the initial diagnosis and brain metastases were different in lung cancer and mammary cancer, but the prognosis after brain metastases showed little difference between them.