Radiotherapy of brain metastases: conventional versus concentrated treatment

From January 1975 to March 1981, 97 consecutive patients with brain metastases from various tumors were treated with cobalt-radiotherapy. Two successive treatment schedules were employed: the first 52 patients were treated according to a conventional schedule (30 or 40 Gy in 15 or 20 treatments over a 3 or 4 week period), while in the successive 45 patients a concentrated schedule was employed (2 series of 17 Gy in 2 sessions over a 3 day period, separated by an interval of 3 weeks). In the 87 evaluable patients, no significant difference was noted regarding the efficacy of radiotherapeutic treatment (25/47 and 20/40 partial remissions, respectively, with median survival of 4 and 3 months, respectively). Acute toxicity was more relevant with concentrated irradiation (approximately 20% of cases).