Clinical investigation of lung cancer patients whose initial symptom was from brain metastases

We treated 59 cases of lung cancer patient whose initial symptom was from brain metastases for the past 10 years from January 1989 to December 1998. Radiotherapy was performed of whole brain irradiation in 52 cases the dose ranged from 20 to 36Gy, local irradiation in 3 and whole plus local irradiation in 4. Surgery was performed in 19 cases and chemotherapy was added in 5. The response rate of brain metastases was 35.6%. But in small cell carcinoma, response rate was 61.5%. Median survival time was 5.4 months, and 51% of cause of death were from brain metastases. To improve the prognosis, it seemed to perform more positive challenge such as radiosurgery must be necessary.