Reirradiation of Recurrent Brain Metastases: Where Do We Stand?

Abstract

Brain metastases occur in a large portion of patients with cancer. Although advances in radiotherapy have helped to improve survival, they have also raised questions regarding the best modality for retreatment in the context of recurrent disease. The spectrum of treatment options for recurrent intracranial metastatic disease after previous radiotherapy includes salvage stereotactic radiosurgery, whole brain radiotherapy, and brachytherapy. We have comprehensively reviewed the existing data on the efficacy and toxicity of the various reirradiation treatment modalities. We examined the key clinical considerations that guide patient selection, such as dose, tumor size, interval to retreatment, and local control and survival rates.