Prema K. R1
BACKGROUND
Brain metastasis are a major cause of mortality and morbidity in cancer patients. Most common primary sites are lung, breast, malignant melanoma and kidney. Whole brain radiation treatment has remained the treatment of choice for brain metastasis. Though it provides early symptomatic relief, survival is limited to 3-6 months.
AIM
To study the effect of radiation on relief of symptoms and on the survival of patients with brain metastasis, also analysing the incidence of brain metastasis from different primary sites.
METHODS
This study was conducted in Radiotherapy department of Government Medical College, Calicut during 1997-1999, involving 50 patients with radiologically proven brain metastasis. All patients received whole brain radiation treatment to a dose of 3000 cGY /10 F/2 weeks and were analysed for symptomatic relief and survival.
RESULT
About ¾th of the patients obtained symptomatic relief within 2 weeks after starting radiation treatment. 72% of patients survived upto 6 months after radiotherapy.
CONCLUSION
External beam irradiation to whole brain in the dose of 3000 cGY/10F/2 weeks is an effective method of treatment of brain metastasis both in terms of early symptomatic relief and survival.
