J Korean Surg Soc.  2009 Feb;76(2):81-85. 10.4174/jkss.2009.76.2.81.

Gamma Knife Surgery for Brain Metastases from Breast Carcinoma

• Choi EJ
• Ro HW
• Cho JS
• Park MH
• Yoon JH
• Jegal YJ

• KMID: 2211257
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4174/jkss.2009.76.2.81

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of the Gamma Knife Surgery on the symptomatic control of brain metastasis from breast carcinoma.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed patients with brain metastases from breast cancer who underwent Gamma Knife Surgery at our hospital, between May 2004 and November 2007. Total 82 metastases were treated with 26 cycles of Leksell gamma knife. Freedom from local recurrence and survival time were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method.
RESULTS
17 patients with 82 metastases were treated over 26 Gamma Knife Surgery sessions. The mean time to brain metastases was 41.7 months (8~84), median number was 2.0 (1~10), and median volume was 7.4 cm3 (0.6~25.4). Radiologic response occurred in 84.6%, and the rate of symptom relief was 73.1%. Local brain tumor recurrences were observed in 15.3% and intracranial distant recurrence occurred in 57.7% that occurred within 3.2 months. The median length of survival for all patients was 9.3 months (95% confidence interval, 4.23~9.37 months).
CONCLUSION
Gamma Knife Surgery is an effective and feasible treatment for symptomatic control of brain metastases from breast cancer patients who have severe extracranial metastases and short life expectancy.

Keyword

Breast carcinoma; Brain metastases; Gamma Knife Surgery

MeSH Terms

Brain
Brain Neoplasms
Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Freedom
Humans
Life Expectancy
Neoplasm Metastasis
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Overall survival curve for all patients after Gamma Knife Surgery (n=17).

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