The effect of radiation therapy on brain metastases from endometrial carcinoma: a retrospective study

The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of radiation therapy as a treatment for brain metastases from endometrial carcinoma.

Between July 1985 and November 1999, 10 patients with brain metastases from endometrial carcinoma were treated at the Cleveland Clinic. We reviewed the patient and tumor characteristics at the time of the primary diagnosis and the brain metastases diagnosis. For the 8 patients who received radiation therapy with or without surgery, we analyzed the treatment results with regard to survival and local control of the metastases.

Brain metastases from endometrial carcinoma were commonly accompanied by uncontrolled local-regional disease and systemic metastases. Multiple brain lesions developed in 7 of 10 patients. Two patients were treated with surgery alone and had a median survival of 2.75 months (4 and 1.5 months) after the brain metastases diagnosis. Three patients were treated with surgery and radiation therapy and lived for a median survival of 15 months (range 11.5 to 15.5 months). The 5 patients who were treated with radiation therapy without surgery had a median survival of 2.4 months (range 0.25 to 6 months). Patients with multiple brain metastases had a shorter survival than patients with a single metastasis.

Overall survival after brain metastases development in patients with endometrial carcinoma was poor. Although the number of patients was small, radiation therapy alone resulted in poor survival. Combination treatment with surgery and radiation therapy may improve survival for selected patients.