The influence of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on cerebral metastases

A group of 110 patients (68 male and 42 female) with cerebral metastases, treated at the Institute of Clinical Oncology and Radiotherapy, Zagreb University School of Medicine, during the period 1978-1984, were included in the study. Most patients were aged 50-60 years. Out of 110 patients, 52 were treated by radiotherapy and 58 by radiotherapy plus chemotherapy. Metastases from the bronchus carcinoma, breast carcinoma, melanoma and gastrointestinal carcinoma were present in 59%, 21.8% and 4.6% of patients, respectively. In 1.8% metastases from hypernephroma and in 3.6% from other malignant tumors were observed. In 4.6% cases, the origin of metastases could not be identified. Fifty-two out of 110 patients were treated by radiotherapy alone. They received 3000 cGy in 8-10 fractions, to the whole brain, with two parallel opposed fields. Fifty-eight out of 110 patients treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy were given the same radiotherapeutic treatment. Chemotherapeutically, they were treated with BCNU and CCNU with or without Vincristin in standard doses. In the group of 52 patients treated by radiotherapy alone the median survival was six months (1-16 months), i.e. the same as in the group treated by both radiotherapy and chemotherapy (1-26 months).