Whole-brain Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer Patients with Dural Metastasis Without Concomitant Brain Metastasis and Leptomeningeal Metastasis.

AIM: To evaluate outcomes of breast cancer patients with confirmed dural metastasis (DM) alone who received whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT).

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

The medical records of thirty-three breast cancer patients who received WBRT to treat intracranial metastasis were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical presentation of DM-only was compared with that of brain metastasis (BM)/leptomeningeal metastasis (LM).

RESULTS

Eight patients had DM and 25 patients had BM/LM. Median survival was 12 months in patients with DM and 7 months in those with BM/LM. Multivariate analysis found that only a Karnofsky performance status of ≥70 was significantly associated with improved OS. DM did not cause the death of any patient. Symptoms did not worsen in any DM patient.

CONCLUSION

WBRT can be considered for patients with DM alone for symptom improvement and preventing DM-related death.