Activity of extracranial metastases as a prognostic factor influencing survival after radiosurgery of brain metastases

Information about prognostic factors influencing survival have been only oc casionally reported in studies on the use of radiosurgery in the treatment of patients with brain metastasis. To answer the question of whether activi ty of extracranial metastases is an independent prognostic factor influenci ng survival in radiosurgery of brain metastases, a review of the literature was performed. Fourteen studies were identified in the English language li terature that dealt with this topic. Only three studies showed borderline i nsignificance of the influence of activity of extracranial metastases when analysed by univariate methods. When multivariate analysis was used to test for the independent influence of this factor on survival, of nine studies that used that statistical approach eight showed that it is an independent prognosticator influencing survival, most often being the strongest one. Th is review of literature supports the view that the "activity of extracrania l metastases" is an independent prognostic factor influencing survival of t hese patients as documented in published reports. However. prospective rand omised trials are necessary to definitely establish the independent influen ce of this prognostic factor.