Clinical Features of Brain Metastases in Small Cell Lung Cancer: an Implication for Hippocampal Sparing Whole Brain Radiation Therapy

PURPOSE: To assess the clinical features and distribution of brain metastases (BMs) of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in the hippocampal and perihippocampal region, with the purpose of exploring the viability of hippocampal-sparing whole-brain radiation therapy (HS-WBRT) on reducing neurocognitive deficits. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of the clinical characteristics and patterns of BMs in patients with SCLC. Associations between the clinical characteristics and hippocampal metastases (HMs)/perihippocampal metastases (PHMs) were evaluated in univariate and multivariate regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 1594 brain metastatic lesions were identified in 180 patients. Thirty-two (17.8%) patients were diagnosed with BMs at the time of primary SCLC diagnosis. The median interval between diagnosis of primary SCLC and BMs was 9.3 months. There were 9 (5.0%) and 22 (12.2%) patients with HMs and PHMs (patients with BMs located in or within 5 mm around the hippocampus), respectively. In the univariate and multivariate analysis, the number of BMs was the risk factor for HMs and PHMs. Patients with BMs >= 5 had significantly higher risk of HMs (odds ratio [OR] 7.892, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.469-42.404, P = .016), and patients with BMs = 7 had significantly higher risk of PHMs (OR 5.162, 95% CI 2.017-13.213, P = .001). Patients with extracranial metastases are also associated with HMs. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that patients with nonoligometastatic disease are significantly associated with HMs and PHMs. The incidence of PHMs may be acceptably low enough to perform HS-WBRT for SCLC. Our findings provide valuable clinical data to assess the benefit of HS-WBRT in SCLC patients with BMs.