title: Characteristics of long-term survivors of brain metastases from lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Long-term survival of lung cancer patients with brain metastases (BM) is very rare. Our aim is to report the characteristics of patients who survived for at least three years after a BM diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen lung cancer patients who had survived ≥3 years after a BM diagnosis were identified in our database. Seven (37%) had undergone whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) only, five (26%) BM surgery + WBRT, three (16%) BM surgery + WBRT + BM radiosurgery, and four (21%) no WBRT (one, surgery; one, radiosurgery; two, BM surgery + radiosurgery). Their characteristics were compared with historical data for 322 lung cancer patients with BM (control group, CG), who had received WBRT between 1986 and 1997.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median survival from BM in long survivors group was 73 months (in CG - 4 months). Characteristics comparison: median age 55 vs. 58 (CG), p = 0.16; female sex 68% vs. 28% (CG), p = 0.003; RTOG/RPA class 1 - 75% vs. 13% (CG), p = 0.00001; adenocarcinoma histology 84% vs. 24% (CG), p < 0.00001; control of primary tumor 95% vs. 27% (CG), p < 0.00001; extracranial metastases 0 vs. 26% (CG), p = 0.01; single BM 63% vs. 9% (CG), p = 0.00001; surgery of BM 53% vs. 14% (CG), p = 0.00001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Beside prognostic factors already recognized as favorable in patients with BM, the adenocarcinoma histology and female sex were prevalent in long-term survivors of BM from lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, M. Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institut of Oncology, ul. Roentgena 5, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niemiec
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, M. Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institut of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Głogowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, M. Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institut of Oncology, ul. Roentgena 5, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Dobromira
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tyc-Szczepaniak
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, M. Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institut of Oncology, ul. Roentgena 5, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wierzchowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, M. Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institut of Oncology, ul. Roentgena 5, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Lucyna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kępka
keywords: Adenocarcinoma; Brain metastases; Female; Long-term survival; Lung cancer