Radiation therapy for brain metastases

Abstract

We present the update of the recommendations of the French society for radiation oncology on radiation therapy for the management of brain metastases. It has evolved in recent years and has become more complex. As the life expectancy of patients has increased and retreatments have become more frequent, side effects must be absolutely avoided. Cognitive side effects must in particular be prevented, and the most modern radiation therapy techniques must be used systematically. New prognostic classifications specific to the primary tumour of patients, advances in imaging and radiation therapy technology and new systemic therapeutic strategies, are making treatment more relevant. Stereotactic radiation therapy has supplanted whole-brain radiation therapy both for patients with metastases in place and for those who underwent surgery. Hippocampus protection is possible with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Its relevance in terms of cognitive functioning should be more clearly demonstrated but the requirement for its use is constantly increasing. New targeted cancer treatment therapies based on the nature of the primitive have complicated the notion of the place and timing of radiation therapy and the discussion during multidisciplinary care meeting to indicate the best sequences is becoming a challenging issue as data on the interaction between treatments remain to be documented. In the end, although aimed at patients in the palliative phase, the management of brain metastases is one of the locations for which technical reflection is the most challenging and treatment become increasingly personalized.

Keywords: Brain metastasis; Cognition; French society for radiation oncology; Guidelines; Hippocampe; Hippocampus; IMRT; Métastases cérébrales; RCMI; Radiation therapy; Radiothérapie; Recommandations; Société française de radiothérapie oncologique; Stereotactic; Stéréotaxie.