Stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with small-cell lung cancer brain metastases

Abstract

Despite the continuous implementation of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for patients with limited (≤4) brain metastases from various solid tumours1 and despite the increasing evidence of neurocognitive toxicity from whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT),2 patients with brain metastases from small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) are still considered typical candidates for WBRT. International guidelines and surveys on care patterns still regard WBRT as a standard of care for this setting in clinical practice. Several studies in various cancers have shown that postoperative SRS instead of additional WBRT can be associated with high control and survival rates and could preserve neurocognitive functioning;3,4 therefore, SRS has replaced WBRT as the standard of care for patients with limited brain metastases from most solid tumours, and its safety and efficacy is suggested for as many as ten targetable lesions.