title: Favorable prognosis of brain metastases in small cell lung cancer.
abstract: Brain metastases are found at diagnosis in 10% of patients with small cell lung cancer. To clarify the effect of central nervous system metastases on prognosis, the records of 429 patients with small cell lung cancer were reviewed. Forty-three patients (10%) presented with brain metastases. In 18 patients the brain was the only site of metastatic disease, whereas the remaining 25 patients had at least one additional metastatic site. Forty-one of forty-three patients were treated with combination chemotherapy and cranial radiotherapy. Systemic response rates were similar for both groups. Twenty-seven patients underwent repeat central nervous system staging: 19 (70%) had a complete response, 4 (15%) a partial response, and 4 (15%) no response. Median survival of patients with only one site of metastatic disease was 11 months; patients with additional sites lived 5 months (p = 0.153). Survival in patients with only one site is similar to that in patients with limited disease (11 compared with 13 months; p = 0.074).
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies