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Cochrane on Radiosurgery, Radiation for Brain Ca

Cochrane; 2017 Sep 25; Patil, Pricola, et al

Publish date:: October 31, 2017

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) plus whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) improves survival in certain patients with brain metastases, according to a Cochrane review of 3 trials. Among the findings, based on moderate quality evidence:

Overall, participants who underwent WBRT and SRS did not survive longer than participants who were treated with WBRT alone.
Patients who were able to perform activities of daily life in a highly functional way, as well as those with a single metastasis, survived longer after combination therapy.
Those given combined treatment experienced better local control and performance status, and used steroids less frequently.

Citation:

Patil C, Pricola K, Sarmiento J, Garg S, Bryant A, Black K. Whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) alone versus WBRT and radiosurgery for the treatment of brain metastases. Cochrane Database of Syst Rev. 2017, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD006121. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006121.pub4.

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