Prognostic analysis in patients of lung cancer with brain metastasis under surgical removal

The outcome and prognostic factor in postcraniotomy patients with brain metastasis from lung cancer in south Taiwan were evaluated. There were 21 males and 12 females, with ages ranging from 35 to 72 years (mean, 56.4 years). The survival rate was determined from the date of craniotomy and was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier product limit method. In the univariate analysis survival was significantly affected by systemic metastasis (P = 0.0109), brain radiotherapy (P = 0.0121) and chest radiotherapy (P = 0.0361). Preoperative and postoperative Karnofsky scores were evaluated using the paired t-test and the neurological condition, as evaluated by Karnofsky scores, significantly improved after craniotomy (P < 0.001). We concluded that an aggressive craniotomy and radiotherapy improves the quality of life and survival rate, especially in those patients with solitary brain metastasis and no extracranial metastasis.