Role of Immunotherapy and Targeted Agents to Treat Brain Metastases

Brain metastases are a common yet dismal complication of metastatic cancers, originating most commonly from nonsmall cell lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, and renal cell carcinoma. While the current standard of care for most patients involves radiation therapy, the associated side effects have caused clinicians and researchers to search for new treatments with hopefully fewer adverse effects. The growing field of immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, shows promising results in cancer patients with brain metastases and warrants further investigation.