The natural history of breast cancer patients with brain metastases.

One hundred one breast cancer patients with brain metastases (BM) were reviewed. The median survival from BM was 4.0 months. Seventy percent were receiving chemotherapy at the diagnosis of BM and 43% were showing a clinical response. Prolonged survival was seen in patients who underwent surgical resection, those with the brain as site of first metastasis, and those with a long free interval who survived the initial 5 months after BM. Long-term survivors (greater than 18 months from BM) demonstrated indolent disease by all parameters measured.