Survival and tumor recurrence in patients with brain metastases treated by surgical resection with or without adjuvant whole brain radiation therapy

摘要

Objective Tumors that metastasize to the brain are associated with poor survival and tend to recur at the original site after treatment. Adjuvant whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is recommended after surgical resection in order to decrease recurrence rates. However, prognostic factors that determine which patients may benefit from WBRT remain limited. We set out to characterize our experience with WBRT in these patients and identify prognostic factors. Methods Ninety-eight patients who underwent surgical resection for metastatic brain tumors were identified by retrospective chart review. Demographic data was collected, patient survival and tumor recurrence rate after treatment were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox-proportional hazard regression while controlling for eonfounders.