title: Methods and results of locoregional treatment of brain metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: This article presents methods and results of surgery and radiotherapy of brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (BMF-NSCLC). Patients with single BMF-NSCLC, with Karnofsky score ≥ 70 and controlled extracranial disease are the best candidates for surgery. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is recommended in patients with 1-3 BMF-NSCLC below 3-3.5 cm, with minor neurological symptoms, located in parts of the brain not accessible to surgery, with controlled extracranial disease. Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) following SRS reduces the risk of local relapse; in selected patients median survival reaches more than 10 months. Whole brain radiotherapy alone is a treatment in patients with multiple metastases, poor performance status, uncontrolled extracranial disease, disqualified from surgery or SRS with median survival 3 to 6 months. There is no doubt that there are patients with BMF-NSCLC who should receive only the best supportive care. There is a debate in the literature on how to select these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Krakow Branch, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patla
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Krakow Branch, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Walasek
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Krakow Branch, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jakubowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Krakow Branch, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Blecharz
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Krakow Branch, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy Władysław
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mituś
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Krakow Branch, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mucha-Małecka
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Krakow Branch, Poland.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reinfuss
keywords: brain metastases; non-small cell lung cancer; radiation therapy