For Brain Metastases, Whole-Brain Radiotherapy After Surgery Or Radiosurgery Not Recommended

Whole-brain radiotherapy should not be given routinely to all patients whose cancer has spread to the brain, say researchers who found that using it after surgery or radiosurgery in patients with a limited number of brain metastases and stable cancer in the rest of the body did not extend lives or help patients remain functionally independent for longer.

In the largest study to date on the issue, scientists reported at Europe's largest cancer congress, ECCO 15 - ESMO 34 [1], in Berlin (Tuesday 22 September) that while the technique did extend the length of time before the cancer got worse and reduced the risk of brain-related deaths, it failed to prolong overall survival or the length of time that patients were able to remain independent in critical functions such as walking, thinking and eating.

source: Medical News Today