A retrospective study on stereotactic radiotherapy or whole brain radiotherapy for brain metastases of small cell lung cancer
- 1Graduate Training Base of Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou Institute of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022 China
- 2Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China
Abstract
Purposes: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) frequently results in brain metastases, which significantly impact survival rates. Although whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is the conventional approach, it is associated with neurocognitive side effects. Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) offers accurate targeting but lacks established guidelines for managing SCLC’s numerous metastases. This research conducted a comparative analysis of SRT, WBRT, and WBRT combined with a boost (WBRT+Boost) to inform clinical management strategies.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted involving 337 patients with SCLC who presented with brain metastases and were treated at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between 2019 and 2026. The patient groups consisted of those receiving SRT (n = 95), WBRT alone (n = 181), and WBRT+Boost (n = 61). The primary endpoints of the study were intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS) and overall survival (OS). Statistical analyses employed Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests, Cox proportional hazards models, and 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) to control for confounding variables.
Results: Pre-PSM, SRT demonstrated a longer median OS compared to WBRT alone (13.47 vs. 8.27 months, P = 0.013), although the differences in iPFS were not statistically significant. Following PSM, the differences in OS diminished (SRT vs. WBRT: 11.77 vs. 8.70 months, P = 0.412), while the WBRT+Boost significantly improved iPFS compared to SRT (8.17 vs. 5.87 months, P = 0.021). Multivariate analysis identified a Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) of ≥ 90 (HR, 0.63; P = 0.006) and the presence of synchronous metastases (HR, 0.62; P = 0.013) as factors associated with improved OS. Conversely, the presence of extracranial metastases (HR, 2.24; P < 0.001) and more than three brain lesions (HR, 1.44; P = 0.045) were linked to worse OS. Additionally, immunotherapy administered after radiotherapy was found to be protective.
Conclusion: Radiotherapy modality did not significantly impact OS, but WBRT+Boost may enhance intracranial control. Immunotherapy integration is critical. Future prospective studies should define optimal strategies and synergy with immunotherapy.
Clinical trial number: Not applicable.
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BibTeX
@article{pan2026retrospective,
title = {{A retrospective study on stereotactic radiotherapy or whole brain radiotherapy for brain metastases of small cell lung cancer}},
author = {Jingcong Pan and Sun Jing Qiang and Chu Wu and Zehua Sun and Xiao Hu},
journal = {Radiation Oncology (London, England)},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s13014-026-02903-z},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13014-026-02903-z},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A retrospective study on stereotactic radiotherapy or whole brain radiotherapy for brain metastases of small cell lung cancer
AU - Jingcong Pan
AU - Sun Jing Qiang
AU - Chu Wu
AU - Zehua Sun
AU - Xiao Hu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/11
JO - Radiation Oncology (London, England)
DO - 10.1186/s13014-026-02903-z
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13014-026-02903-z
AB - Purposes: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) frequently results in brain metastases, which significantly impact survival rates. Although whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is the conventional approach, it is associated with neurocognitive side effects. Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) offers accurate targeting but lacks established guidelines for managing SCLC’s numerous metastases. This research conducted a comparative analysis of SRT, WBRT, and WBRT combined with a boost (WBRT+Boost) to inform clinical management strategies. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted involving 337 patients with SCLC who presented with brain metastases and were treated at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between 2019 and 2026. The patient groups consisted of those receiving SRT (n = 95), WBRT alone (n = 181), and WBRT+Boost (n = 61). The primary endpoints of the study were intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS) and overall survival (OS). Statistical analyses employed Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests, Cox proportional hazards models, and 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) to control for confounding variables. Results: Pre-PSM, SRT demonstrated a longer median OS compared to WBRT alone (13.47 vs. 8.27 months, P = 0.013), although the differences in iPFS were not statistically significant. Following PSM, the differences in OS diminished (SRT vs. WBRT: 11.77 vs. 8.70 months, P = 0.412), while the WBRT+Boost significantly improved iPFS compared to SRT (8.17 vs. 5.87 months, P = 0.021). Multivariate analysis identified a Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) of ≥ 90 (HR, 0.63; P = 0.006) and the presence of synchronous metastases (HR, 0.62; P = 0.013) as factors associated with improved OS. Conversely, the presence of extracranial metastases (HR, 2.24; P < 0.001) and more than three brain lesions (HR, 1.44; P = 0.045) were linked to worse OS. Additionally, immunotherapy administered after radiotherapy was found to be protective. Conclusion: Radiotherapy modality did not significantly impact OS, but WBRT+Boost may enhance intracranial control. Immunotherapy integration is critical. Future prospective studies should define optimal strategies and synergy with immunotherapy. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.
SN - 1748-717X
ER -