Intracerebral metastases surgery
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sujit Routray, M.D. [2]
Overview
Surgery is not the first-line treatment option for patients with intracerebral metastases. Surgical resection is usually reserved for patients with either a solitary brain metastasis or no extracranial spread of the primary tumor. Sterotactic radiosurgery is indicated if there are multiple (<3) but small metastatic tumor masses.[1]
Surgery
Stereotactic Radiosurgery
- Stereotactic radiosurgery is a type of external beam radiation therapy that allows radiation beams to be given to a specific area in the brain.
- This therapy aims many small beams of radiation from different directions at the tissue to be treated.
- It can direct the beams with precision to lessen the radiation to surrounding tissues, hence it causes less damage to healthy tissue than whole brain radiation therapy.
- A single large dose of radiation is given.
- Indications for stereotactic radiation therapy include:[2]
- One or a few metastatic brain tumors
- Used to treat people with upto 3 small-sized metastatic brain tumors
- Alone or in combination with whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT)
- Progressive or recurrent brain metastases
- Stereotactic radiotherapy may be given after the person has had whole brain radiation therapy
Surgical Resection
Surgery is not the first-line treatment option for patients with intracerebral metastases. Surgical resection is usually reserved for patients with either:[1]
- Solitary brain metastasis
- No extracranial spread of the primary
The role of surgery in treatment of intracerebral metastases include:[1]
- Reduction of the size of the tumor as much as possible (debulking), if the metastasis is deep or is growing into the brain tissue and causing problems
- Reduction of the intracranial pressure
- Relief from the symptoms, if a brain metastasis cannot be completely resected
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Surgery of brain metastases. Canadian Cancer Society 2015. http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/metastatic-cancer/brain-metastases/treatment/?region=on. Accessed on November 13, 2015
- ↑ Sterotactic radiation therapy for brain metastases. Canadian Cancer Society 2015. http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/metastatic-cancer/brain-metastases/treatment/?region=on. Accessed on November 13, 2015