Comparing the efficacy of concurrent EGFR-TKI and whole-brain radiotherapy vs EGFR-TKI alone as a first-line therapy for advanced EGFR -mutated non-small-cell lung cancer with brain metastases: a retrospective cohort study

Background Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a global public health problem, and brain is a common metastatic site in advanced NSCLC. Currently, whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) remains a major treatment for brain metastases, while EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is the standard treatment for advanced NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations, which is also effective for brain metastases. However, whether EGFR-TKIs plus radiotherapy is superior to EGFR-TKIs alone for the treatment of advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLS with brain metastases remains controversial. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of concurrent EGFR-TKIs and WBRT vs EGFR-TKI alone in a retrospective cohort of advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLS with brain metastases.