Radiosurgery for brain metastasis from advanced gastric cancer

We retrospectively evaluated the survival of patients with brain metastases from advanced gastric cancer (AGC) after radiosurgery (RS). Between 1998 and 2007, a total of 11 patients (median age, 61 years; range, 36-70) were diagnosed with brain metastasis from AGC and treated with RS. Each of five (46%) patients had two brain metastases. The median volume of the 16 lesions was 2.9 cm(3) (range, 0.1-33.8). The median marginal dose prescribed was 20 Gy (range, 10-25) at the 50% isodose line. RS was the primary treatment for brain metastases in six patients. As of February 28, 2008, eight (73%) patients had died, and three (27%) were living with stable disease. The median survival time was 17.0 +/- 3.9 months (95% CI, 9.4-24.6). The median progression-free survival time was 9.0 +/- 2.5 months (95% CI, 4.2-13.8). Patients who did not undergo WBRT died within 8 months, and the other six patients treated with WBRT at various time intervals from the diagnosis of brain metastases survived, with a median survival time of 19.0 +/- 3.4 months (95% CI, 12.4-25.6). Radiosurgery seems to be a good alternative to surgical resection for patients with brain metastases from AGC, when performed in conjunction with WBRT.