Overview of Survival and Related Parameters in Malignancies with Brain Metastasis

OBJECTIVE Brain metastasis is the most common type of brain tumor. The present study is an investigation of prognostic factors for survival in patients with brain metastasis. METHODS We retrospectively investigated patients with brain metastasis who were treated at the Cumhuriyet University center for radiation oncology between 2006 and 2014. RESULTS The data of 277 patients were analyzed. Age of the patient, performance status, length of time to metastasis, site of primary disease, and performance of metastasectomy were determined to be factors that affect prognosis. Independent prognostic factors were found to be: time to metastasis (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52-0.99; p=0.0047), performance status (HR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.07-1.85; p=0.015), and metastasectomy (HR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.33-0.89; p=0.017). CONCLUSION Survival rate was better in patients with breast cancer, longer time before metastasis, good performance, and those who had undergone metastasectomy. Therapeutic approaches should be planned with consideration that patients exhibiting these characteristics might have more favorable therapeutic outcomes.