title: Predicting survival after whole-brain irradiation for cerebral metastases from prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prostate cancer patients represent a small minority of those presenting with cerebral metastases. Knowledge about overall survival (OS) contributes to individualization of treatment concepts. In this study an OS score was created for patients receiving whole-brain irradiation (WBI) for cerebral metastases from prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of six variables, four were significantly associated with OS: performance status, time from diagnosis of prostate cancer to WBI, number of cerebral lesions, extracranial metastases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six-month OS rates of the four variables (in %, divided by 10) were added. The addition resulted in scores of 1 to 19 points. Six-month OS rates were 0% for <15 points and 100% for ≥ 15 points (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An OS score was generated specifically for patients with cerebral lesions from prostate cancer. For patients with <15 points, a short WBI regimen (5x4 Gy) should be used, for patients with ≥ 15 points a longer regimen seems appropriate.
authors: Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors: Tobias
authors: T
authors: Bartscht
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany Rades.Dirk@gmx.net.
authors: Dirk
authors: D
authors: Rades
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D016371:Cranial Irradiation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage
keywords: Cerebral metastases; overall survival; predictive score; prostate cancer; whole-brain irradiation