title: The use of recursive partitioning analysis grouping in patients with brain metastases from non-small-cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluates the use of recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) grouping in an attempt to predict the survival probabilities in patients with brain metastases from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two patients with brain metastases from NSCLC treated with radiation therapy were included in the study. Sixty-three patients were male and nine patients were female. Their median age was 57 years and their median Karnofsky performance status was 70. At the time of brain metastases, there was no evidence of the intrathoracic disease in 27 patients and the extrathoracic disease was limited to the intracranial disease in 42 patients. In accordance with RPA grouping, 12 patients were in Group 1, 24 patients were in Group 2, and 36 patients were in Group 3. Radiation therapy was delivered to the whole brain at a dose of 30 Gy in 10 fractions in most of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median survival time was 7 months for Group 1, 5 months for Group 2 and 3 months for Group 3. The survival probability at 1 year was 50% for Group 1, 26% for Group 2 and 14% for Group 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study presents evidence supporting the use of RPA grouping in an attempt to predict the survival probabilities in patients with brain metastases from NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: MD, Department of Radiation Oncology, Inönü University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, TR-44280, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hülya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gülbaş
authors.forename: Haldun Sükrü
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Erkal
authors.forename: Meltem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D016371:Cranial Irradiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D016019:Survival Analysis