Cerebellar metastases in patients with cancer

Abstract 

Background

Cerebellar metastases are considered a negative prognostic factor in patients with systemic cancers. We retrospectively reviewed the treatment and outcome of 109 patients with cerebellar metastases.

Methods

A total of 1240 patients with metastatic brain tumors were identified and treated between January 1990 and December 2005.

Results

Cerebellar metastases occurred in 109 (8.7%) of these patients. The primary site of carcinoma was lung in 43 patients, breast in 24 patients, and gastrointestinal in 19 patients. Seventy-three (67.0%) patients underwent surgical resection; and of those patients, 27 (24.8%) also received WBRT. In 68 patients with high performance status (KPS >70), the median survival time (MST) after the diagnosis of brain metastasis was 22.1 months compared to 13.4 months in 41 patients with pretreatment KPS of <70. The MST for 38 patients who had surgical resection alone was 20.5 months compared to 35.5 months for those (n = 27) who had surgical resection followed by radiotherapy.

Conclusions

Aggressive treatment including surgical resection and radiotherapy for patients and high performance status (KPS of at least 70) are associated with longer survival for selected patients with cerebellar metastases.

Abbreviations: KPS, Karnofsky performance score, WBRT, whole brain radiation, SRS, stereotactic radiosurgery

Keywords: Malignant brain tumor, Cerebellar metastases