Survival and prognostic factors in patients with brain metastases from malignant melanoma

We wanted to determine the factors influencing survival in a retrospective review of patients with melanoma brain metastases to permit more specific recommendations regarding therapy.

We reviewed the data of 100 patients treated at the Department of Dermatology and Radiation Oncology, University of Zurich, and the Klinik im Park, Zurich. Information on potential prognostic factors (age, sex, location of the primary tumor, Clark level, Breslow index, histological type, number of brain metastases, stage at initial diagnosis, location of brain metastases, and therapy) was collected from the medical records of 100 patients treated between 1966 and 2002. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify significant prognostic factors.

The overall median survival time was 4.8 months, with 6-month, 1-year and 2-year survival percentages of 36, 14 and 5%, respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that survival correlated significantly with radiotherapy (partial and whole brain), surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, chemotherapy, Clark level and Breslow index. Treatment with temozolomide (p = 0.052) and number of brain metastases (p = 0.07) failed to be statistically significant. Multivariate analysis confirmed radiotherapy (partial and whole brain), surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, chemotherapy and the location of brain metastases as independent and significant prognostic factors of survival. The remaining factors did not reach statistical significance in multivariate analysis.

Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and especially surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery seem to significantly prolong survival, as shown by multivariate analysis. Treatment with temozolomide will possibly play an important role in the future management of patients with brain metastases from cutaneous melanoma, but further prospective studies to verify this assumption are urgently needed.