Survival and Yield of Surveillance Imaging in Long-Term Survivors of Brain Metastasis Treated with Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Abstract

Objectives: The optimal frequency of surveillance brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in long-term survivors with brain metastases after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is unknown. Our aim was to identify the optimal frequency of surveillance imaging in long-term survivors with brain metastases after SRS.

Methods: Eligible patients were identified from a cohort treated with SRS definitively or postoperatively at our institution from 2014 to 2019 with no central nervous system (CNS) failure within 12 months from SRS. Time to CNS disease failure diagnosis and cost per patient were estimated using theoretical MRI schedules of 2, 3, 4, and 6 months starting 1 year after SRS until CNS failure. Time to diagnosis was calculated from the date of CNS progression to the theoretical imaging date on each schedule.

Results: This cohort included 55 patients (median follow-up from SRS: 2.48 years). During the study period, 20.0% had CNS disease failure (median: 2.26 years from SRS treatment). In this cohort, a theoretical 2-month, 3-month, 4-month, and 6-month MRI brain surveillance schedule produced a respective estimated time to diagnosis of CNS disease failure of 1.11, 1.74, 1.65, and 3.65 months. The cost of expedited diagnosis for the cohort (dollars/month) for each theoretical imaging schedule compared with a 6-month surveillance schedule was $6600 for a 2-month protocol, $4496 for a 3-month protocol, and $2180 for a 4-month protocol.

Conclusions: Based on cost-benefit, a 4-month MRI brain schedule should be considered in patients with metastatic disease to the brain treated definitively or postoperatively with SRS without evidence of CNS recurrence at 1 year.

Keywords: Brain metastasis; Imaging; Radiation therapy; Stereotactic radiosurgery.