Prolonged Survival for Patients with ALK-Rearranged NSCLC and Brain Metastases

Non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with ALK-rearrangements have prolonged prognosis but excess risk for brain metastases. To examine outcomes in this unique population of patients, investigators performed a retrospective, multicenter review of 90 ALK-rearranged NSCLC patients who developed brain metastases and were evaluated for radiation therapy.

Of these patients, 30% presented with brain metastases, and 70% developed brain metastases a median of 27 months from time of diagnosis; more than half had ≥4 brain lesions at presentation. Most patients (93%) received radiotherapy to the brain: 71% received a median 20 Gy of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and 50% received a median 30 Gy of whole-brain radiotherapy; 7% received tyrosine …