Treatment and outcome of patients with brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Abstract

e19058 Background: The prognosis of patients with brain metastases from NSCLC is generally poor. However, some reports suggest that the outlook of patients with brain metastases at the time of diagnosis may be similar to that of patients with advanced NSCLC without brain metastases. We undertook a retrospective review of NSCLC patients with brain metastases to examine the outcomes of care for patients with brain metastases from NSCLC. Methods: All new lung cancer patients seen in our institution between July 2005 and June 2007 were assessed for the development of brain metastases. Baseline characteristics, treatment and outcome data were extracted from the chart. The primary outcome of interest was a comparison of survival of patients with brain metastases at diagnosis compared with patients who developed brain metastases later. Results: 91 of 878 (10.4%) new patients seen over the 2 years developed brain metastases. There were 43 men and 48 women. The median age was 64 yrs (sd 10.6yrs). 45 patients had brain metastases at presentation while 46 developed brain metastases later. 34 (37%) had a solitary brain metastasis. 18 (20%) underwent surgical resection. The median overall survival for all patients was 7.8m. Patients with brain metastases at diagnosis had a significantly shorter overall survival than patients who developed brain metastases later (9.8m v 4.3m, p=0.001). Survival following diagnosis of brain metastases was similar for both groups (3.7m v 4.8m, p=0.53). Patients presenting with brain metastases were less likely to be referred to a medical oncologist (51% v 74%, p=0.02) and less likely to receive chemotherapy (18% v 41%, p=0.01). Conclusions: These data suggest that NSCLC patients with brain metastases at diagnosis have a significantly worse outcome than patients who develop brain metastases at a subsequent time point in their illness. Few patients received systemic therapy following diagnosis of brain metastases and further research is needed to determine the utility of chemotherapy in this patient group. No significant financial relationships to disclose.