ArticleStrahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al]2022
Long-term neurocognitive function after whole-brain radiotherapy in patients with melanoma brain metastases in the era of immunotherapy.
Article in Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al], 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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6 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Harnessing the sparing effect of FLASH-RT: From phenomenon observation, radiophysical determinants to molecular mechanisms and synergistic strategies.Materials today. Bio · 2026Review
- Cognitive function in long-term survivors after treatment for brain metastases compared with normative samples.Neuro-oncology practice · 2026Article
- Article
- Return to work in younger patients with brain metastases who survived for 2 years or more.Journal of neuro-oncology · 2025Article
- Non-Professional Phagocytosis Increases in Melanoma Cells and Tissues with Increasing E-Cadherin Expression.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2023Article
- Review
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6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
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Abstract
backgroundWhole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) used to be standard of care for patients suffering from melanoma brain metastases (MBM) and may still be applicable in selected cases. Deterioration of neurocognitive function (NCF) is commonly seen during and after WBRT. Knowledge on long-term effects in melanoma patients is limited due to short survival rates. With the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors, patients may experience ongoing disease control, emphasizing the need for paying more attention to potential long-term adverse effects.
methodsIn this single-center study, we identified in a period of 11 years all long-term survivors of MBM who received WBRT at least 1 year prior to inclusion. NCF was assessed by Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB) screening and detailed neurological exam; confounders were documented.
resultsEight patients (median age 55 years) could be identified with a median follow-up of 5.4 years after WBRT. Six patients reported no subjective neurological impairment. NAB screening revealed an average-range score in 5/8 patients. In 3/8 patients a NAB score below average was obtained, correlating with subjective memory deficits in 2 patients. In these patients, limited performance shown in modalities like memory function, attention, and spatial abilities may be considerably attributed to metastasis localization itself. Six out of 8 patients were able to return to their previous work.
conclusionFive of 8 long-term survivors with MBM after WBRT experienced little to no restriction in everyday activities. In 3 out of 8 patients, cognitive decline was primarily explained by localization of the metastases in functionally relevant areas of the brain. The results of our small patient cohort do not support general avoidance of WBRT for treatment of brain metastases. However, long-term studies including pretreatment NCF tests are needed to fully analyze the long-term neurocognitive effects of WBRT.
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