Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33367836›Full record

SynthesisNeuro-oncology2021

The incidence of brain metastases among patients with metastatic breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Markus Kuksis, Yizhuo Gao, William Tran, Christianne Hoey, Alex Kiss, Adam S Komorowski, Aman J Dhaliwal, Arjun Sahgal, Sunit Das, Kelvin K Chan and 1 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Neuro-oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 176 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
176citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
12.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

176 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 246 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Guideline
  4. SEOM-GEICAM-SOLTI clinical guidelines in advanced breast cancer (UPDATE 2025).Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026
    Guideline
  5. Pooled it
  6. Guideline
  7. DEGRO guideline for personalized radiotherapy of brain metastases and leptomeningeal carcinomatosis in patients with breast cancer.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2024
    Guideline
  8. Pooled it
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  10. Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Clinical potential of the gut microbiome in oncology: a scoping review of treatment response, toxicity and biomarker development.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
  20. Review

116 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Markus KuksisDepartment of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Yizhuo GaoFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
William TranSunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Christianne HoeySunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Alex KissSunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Adam S KomorowskiDivision of Medical Microbiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Aman J DhaliwalFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Arjun SahgalSunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-7991-8970
Sunit DasDivision of Neurosurgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2146-4168
Kelvin K ChanDivision of Medical Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Katarzyna J JerzakSunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sunnybrook Health Science Centre · CAUniversity of Toronto · CAMcMaster University Medical Centre · CAQueen's University · CASt. Michael's Hospital · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are living longer, but the development of brain metastases often limits their survival. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the incidence of brain metastases in this patient population.

methodsArticles published from January 2000 to January 2020 were compiled from four databases using search terms related to breast cancer, brain metastasis, and incidence. The overall and per patient-year incidence of brain metastases were extracted from studies including patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive (HER2+), triple negative, and hormone receptor (HR)+/hormone receptor negative (HER2-) MBC; pooled overall estimates for incidence were calculated using random effects models.

results937 articles were compiled, and 25 were included in the meta-analysis. Incidence of brain metastases in patients with HER2+ MBC, triple negative MBC, and HR+/HER2- MBC was reported in 17, 6, and 4 studies, respectively. The pooled cumulative incidence of brain metastases was 31% for the HER2+ subgroup (median follow-up: 30.7 months, IQR: 24.0-34.0), 32% for the triple negative subgroup (median follow-up: 32.8 months, IQR: 18.5-40.6), and 15% among patients with HR+/HER2- MBC (median follow-up: 33.0 months, IQR: 31.9-36.2). The corresponding incidences per patient-year were 0.13 (95% CI: 0.10-0.16) for the HER2+ subgroup, 0.13 (95%CI: 0.09-0.20) for the triple negative subgroup, and only 0.05 (95%CI: 0.03-0.08) for patients with HR+/HER2- MBC.

conclusionThere is a high incidence of brain metastases among patients with HER2+ and triple negative MBC. The utility of a brain metastases screening program warrants investigation in these populations.

Indexed as

Brain NeoplasmsBreast NeoplasmsTriple Negative Breast NeoplasmsErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesFemaleHumansIncidenceErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinasesbrain metastaseshuman epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive (HER2+)incidencemetastatic breast cancertriple negative

Identifiers

PMID33367836
PMCPMC8168821
OpenAlexW3116476506

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.