[Radiotherapy for patients with metastatic brain tumor]

Fourty-one patients with a metastatic brain tumor were analyzed to evaluate the usefulness of irradiation. The radiation was given conventionally 3 to 5 times a week with a fractional dose of 1.5 to 2 Gy. The mean survival times was 5.0 months in all cases. The survival times did not change in a dose of 20 to 60 Gy, and symptomatic response was also not perceived in this dose of 20 to 60 Gy. The condition of the primary disease seems to be deeply related to the survival time. It is considered that radiation therapy for brain metastasis is particularly useful in a patients with well-controlled, primary tumors and dose of more than 20 Gy should be given at least.