The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has issued evidence-based guidelines for radiotherapy and surgical management of cancer patients with newly diagnosed brain metastasis.
The guidelines, published online January 30 in Practical Radiation Oncology, recommend that patient management should be based on the prognosis for the patient and the aims of treatment. They recommend that the most important clinical objective -- whether survival, quality of life, brain control, or neurocognitive function -- should be the deciding factor in choosing a treatment modality.
Guidance is provided on using whole-brain radiotherapy, radiosurgery, and/or surgery for three categories of patients based on tumor factors and prognosis:
- Single brain metastases and a prognosis of expected survival of 90 days or more
- Multiple brain metastases and a prognosis of expected survival of 90 days or more
- Single or multiple brain metastases, with patient survival estimated at less than three months
The guidelines were developed by a task force of recognized experts in the fields of radiotherapy, surgery, and radiosurgery for brain metastases. The guidelines may be accessed free of charge by clicking here.
