| Whole brain radiotherapy | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Oncology |
Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is a treatment option for patients withbrain metastases. In WBRT, radiation therapy is administered broadly, to the whole brain, over multiple treatments.[1]
WBRT has been shown to alleviate symptoms, decrease the use ofcorticosteroids needed to control tumor-associatededema, and potentially improve overall survival.[2] However, WBRT has been reported to increase the risk ofcognitive decline.[3]
WBRT may be administered in combination withstereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), surgery, or systemic therapies.[1] Based on data, WBRT combined with systemic therapies increased the likelihood of vomiting but overall, there were no other major differences regarding adverse events between these two treatment methods.[4] While these can improve survival for some patients with single brain metastasis, a 2021 systematic review of the literature found inconsistent results for overall survival.[1]