[Evaluation of bronchial arterial infusion (BAI) for lung cancer with brain metastasis]

Seven high risk patients of lung cancer with brain metastasis to which BAI was done were examined. The standard systemic chemotherapy was not indicated in these cases due to the patients' systemic condition. BAI was performed using CDDP (40-80 mg/m2)+CPT-11 (40-60 mg/m2). The therapeutic effects, side effects, quality of life (QOL) and prognosis were examined.

All cases revealed a stable disease according to the rule of the RECIST. Side effects over grade 2 were not recognized. QOL was improved because clinical effects were recognized in all seven cases with respiratory symptoms (cough in 6, dyspnea at movement in 5 and hemosputum in 1). Six patients died three-thirty months after the treatment of brain metastasis, and the median survival was twelve months. The causes of death were recurrence of brain tumor in 3, increase of primary lesion in 1, recurrence of brain tumor and increase of primary lesion in 2. The prognosis of the patient who had progressing T and N factors was bad.

BAI was effective in keeping the quality of life for a lung cancer patient with brain metastasis. It was thought that BAI should be performed positively in the high risk patient who did not have progressing T and N factors.