[Factors affecting the prognosis in patients with primary lung cancer and brain metastases]

Brain metastases are frequent features during the course of patients with lung carcinoma. The aim of this study was to investigate prognostic factors for patients with brain metastasis from lung cancer. Eighty-eight patients with brain metastasis from lung cancer were enrolled in the study. Eighty-two of cases were male, six were female and the mean age was 57.5 +/- 10.4 years. The most common symptoms were headache (32.9%) and dizziness (32.9%). Fifty-two (59.1%) patients had solitary brain metastasis and the most frequent metastasing site was parietal lobe (34.1%). The median survival times were 3 months after diagnosis of lung carcinoma and 1.5 months after diagnosis of brain metastasis. Although the absence of brain metastasis at the moment of diagnosis, metachronous metastasis, central localization of the tumour, chemotherapy administration and surgical treatment of brain metastasis are good prognostic factors affecting survival after the diagnosis of lung carcinoma, the positive factors affecting survival after brain metastasis are central localization of tumour, chemotherapy administration and surgical treatment of brain metastasis. In conclusion, performing the combination of cranial radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgical therapy and supporting therapy should be evaluated in all appropriate patients with brain metastasis from lung cancer.