Stereotactic irradiation of brain metastases

Brain metastases are life-threatening events for patients. Adequate therapeutic strategies demand thoughtful planning and careful weighting of all treatment options. Multiple brain metastases should be treated in palliative therapy with whole-brain irradiation. In patients with a favourable prognosis and solitary or few brain metastases, surgical excision and radiosurgery are comparable adequate treatment options. Radiosurgery is an non-invasive procedure that can also be performed in non-operable brain areas. The value of additional whole-brain irradiation is under discussion. It has no influence on survival, but the frequence of new brain metastases may be reduced.