[Brain lesion in lung cancer]

Problems of the clinical course, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment of metastatic and non-metastatic (toxic) affections of the brain in patients with lung cancer (with reference to the latter's histological structure, localization and treatment given) and discussed on the basis of a voluminous verified material (2,400 patients). In non-treated patients the brain was involved about twice as frequently, as in patients who received a pathogenetically-substantiated treatment. In both groups the brain involvement was observed mainly in patients suffering from adenocarcinoma and non-differentiated cancer. Early surgical removal of the brain metastases performed may prolong the patient's life by one to two years. A similar effect is produced by radiation therapy of focal affection of the brain in cases of oat-cell cancer.