Background: Brain metastases from breast cancer have poor prognosis and are a challenge to treat. Multiple treatment options are available. Descriptive and prognostic data on breast cancer brain metastases is limited.
Patients and methods: This study analyzed clinical data of patients who underwent surgical resection of one or more brain metastases. Histological and clinical characteristics, as well as treatment modalities, were analyzed.
Results: Initial tumor stage or grade was found not to correlate with the median time to developing brain metastases or survival. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive status was not associated with shorter median time to developing brain metastases. No correlation was found between the number of brain metastases and patient outcome. Results confirm the survival benefit of surgical resection with or without irradiation.
Conclusion: Data showed that patients with HER2-positive and those with triple-negative breast cancer develop brain metastases at lower stages but not earlier after diagnosis, and survival is mostly dependent on treatment modality rather than histological subtype.
Keywords: Breast cancer; brain metastasis; molecular subtype; prognosis; surgical resection; survival.
Copyright© 2020, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.