title: Whole Brain Radiotherapy Combined with Stereotactic Radiosurgery versus Stereotactic Radiosurgery Alone for Brain Metastases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) combined with streotactic radiosurgery versus stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) alone for patients with brain metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study that evaluated the results of 46 patients treated for brain metastases at Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Radiation Oncology Department, between January 2012 and January 2015. Twenty-four patients were treated with WBRT+SRS while 22 patients were treated with only SRS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Time to local recurrence was 9.7 months in the WBRT+SRS arm and 8.3 months in SRS arm, the difference not being statistically significant (p= 0.7). Local recurrence rate was higher in the SRS alone arm but again without significance (p=0,06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In selected patient group with limited number (one to four) of brain metastases SRS alone can be considered as a treatment option and WBRT may be omitted in the initial treatment.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey E-mail : yaseminadas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yasemin Guzle
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Adas
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yazici
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kekilli
authors.forename: Ebru Atasever
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Akkas
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karakaya
authors.forename: Ali Riza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ucer
authors.forename: Gulcin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ertas
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Calikoglu
authors.forename: Yesim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Elgin
authors.forename: Gonca Altinisik
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Inan
authors.forename: Ali Mert
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kocer
authors.forename: Yildiz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D016371:Cranial Irradiation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome