Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39134688›Full record

ArticleStrahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al]2024

Whole brain radiation therapy for patients with brain metastases: survival outcomes and prognostic factors in a contemporary institutional series.

Anna Estermann, Chiara Schneider, Frank Zimmermann, Alexandros Papachristofilou, Tobias Finazzi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al], 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Hyperglycemia is associated with poor survival in patients with brain metastases treated with radiotherapy.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2025
    Article
  2. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Anna EstermannClinic of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Chiara SchneiderClinic of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Frank ZimmermannClinic of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Alexandros PapachristofilouClinic of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
Tobias FinazziClinic of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland. tobias.finazzi@usb.ch.ORCID 0000-0002-4118-4171

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo study survival outcomes and prognostic factors in patients undergoing whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) for brain metastases in the contemporary setting.

methodsPatients undergoing WBRT from 2013-2021 were retrospectively included in an ethics-approved institutional database. Patient and treatment characteristics were assessed, including patient age, primary tumor histology, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), extracranial disease, as well as WBRT dose. Overall survival (OS) was calculated from onset of WBRT using the Kaplan-Meier method.

resultsA total of 328 patients (median age 63 years) were included. Most patients (52%) had ≥ 10 brain metastases, and 17% had leptomeningeal disease. WBRT was delivered with 10 × 3 Gy (64%), 5 × 4 Gy (25%), or other regimens (11%). Median follow-up was 4.4 months (range, 0.1-154.3), and median OS was 4.7 months (95%CI, 3.8-6.0). OS differed between histologies (p = 0.01), with the longest survival seen in breast cancer (median 7.7 months). Patients with KPS of 90-100 survived for a median of 8.3 months, compared to 4.1 months with KPS 70-80, and 1.7 months with KPS < 70 (p < 0.01). Multivariate analyses revealed that KPS had the largest impact on survival. Patients who received a WBRT dose of ≥ 30 Gy also had a reduced risk of death (HR 0.45; p < 0.001). Survival differed between subgroups reclassified according to the Rades scoring system (p < 0.01).

conclusionSurvival outcomes of patients undergoing WBRT in the contemporary era appear comparable to historical cohorts, although individual patient factors need to be considered. Patients with otherwise favorable prognostic factors may benefit from longer-course WBRT.

Indexed as

Brain NeoplasmsCranial IrradiationAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateKarnofsky Performance StatusMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisRadiotherapy DosageRetrospective StudiesSurvival RateTreatment OutcomeBrain metastasesWBRTWhole brain radiation therapyWhole brain radiotherapy

Identifiers

PMID39134688
PMCPMC11527910

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Registered trials

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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.