PALLIATIVE RADIATION THERAPY FOR BRAIN METASTASES

Course overview

UP TO A THIRD OF CANCER PATIENTS GO ONTO DEVELOPING BRAIN METASTASIS, WITH LUNG AND BREAST CANCER ACCOUNTING FOR MOST CASES. THE AVERAGE SURVIVAL FROM THE TIME OF DIAGNOSIS RANGES FROM 2 TO 7 MONTHS. OUR UNDERSTANDING OF OPTIMUM MANAGEMENT HAS IMPROVED WITH THE INCREASING AWARENESS OF THE IMPACT OF MOLECULAR ALTERATIONS AND THEIR PROGNOSTIC IMPLICATIONS. RECENTLY PUBLISHED GUIDELINES HAVE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THE NEED TO TREAT SPECIFIC SUBSETS OF CANCERS SEPARATELY, A CASE IN POINT BEING THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY GUIDELINES ON MANAGING BRAIN METASTASES DUE TO HER 2 POSITIVE BREAST CANCERS. HOWEVER, IT IS DIFFICULT TO IGNORE THE CENTRAL ROLE OF RADIOTHERAPY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF BRAIN METASTASES. THIS ACTIVITY AIMS TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S ROLE IN THE PROVISION OF RADIOTHERAPY TO PATIENTS WITH INTRACRANIAL METASTASES.