TABLE 1.
Patient characteristics.
| All patients (n = 285) | |
|---|---|
| Characteristics at detection of BM | |
| Sex, m/f (%) | 149/136 (52/48) |
| Age in years, median (range) | 62.2 (29.9–86.6) |
| Number of BM, median (range) | 1 (1–12) |
| Oligometastasis (1–4 BM), n (%) | |
| No | 23 (8) |
| Yes | 262 (92) |
| KPS, median (range) | 80 (40–100) |
| Dexamethasone dose within 4 weeks of detection in mg, mean (range) | 11 (0–64) |
| Sum of longest diameters in mm, median (range) | 34.7 (0–98.9) |
| Cumulative intracranial tumor volume in cm3, median (range) | 11.6 (0.2–160.0) |
| GPA score at the time of BM detection, median (range) | 2 (0–4) |
| Maximal radial diameter of edema of largest BM in mm, median (range) | 25.5 (0–76) |
| Initial symptom or sign to perform MRI, n (%) | |
| No specific symptoms | 25 (9) |
| First epileptic seizure | 39 (14) |
| Headache | 21 (7) |
| Nausea | 4 (1) |
| Neurological deficit | 42 (15) |
| Cognitive/personality change | 13 (5) |
| Altered conscious state | 3 (1) |
| Multiple | 111 (39) |
| Other | 25 (9) |
| No information | 2 |
| Symptoms from BM, n (%) | |
| No | 25 (9) |
| Yes | 258 (91) |
| Incomplete file | 2 |
| Localization of largest BM n (%) | |
| Deep brain | 13 (5) |
| Cerebellum | 53 (19) |
| Brain stem | 12 (4) |
| Frontal | 75 (26) |
| Parietal | 56 (20) |
| Occipital | 41 (14) |
| Temporal | 28 (10) |
| Other | 7 |
| Extracranial metastasis, n (%) | |
| 0 | 34 (16) |
| 1–2 extracranial lesions | 116 (55) |
| >2 extracranial lesions | 60 (29) |
| Incomplete file | 72 |
| Largest BM necrotic, n (%) | |
| No | 176 (64) |
| Yes | 98 (36) |
| Not evaluable | 11 |
| Largest BM cystic (>1 cm), n (%) | |
| No | 238 (86) |
| Yes | 39 (14) |
| Not evaluable | 8 |
| Largest BM hemorrhagic, n (%) | |
| No | 190 (73) |
| Yes | 69 (27) |
| Not evaluable | 26 |
| Characteristics after first resection of BM | |
| Primary tumor according to BM histology, n (%) | |
| Unknown | 7 (3) |
| Non small cell lung carcinoma | 103 (36) |
| Small cell lung carcinoma | 15 (5) |
| Melanoma | 50 (18) |
| Breast cancer | 29 (10) |
| Renal cell cancer | 11 (4) |
| Gastrointestinal cancer | 38 (13) |
| Other | 32 (11) |
| Sum of longest diameters in mm, median (range) | 0 (0–60.5) |
| Cumulative intracranial tumor volume in cm3, median (range) | 0.07 (0–34.5) |
| Dexamethasone dose in mg, mean (range) | 3 (0–16) |
| Dexamethasone change compared to presurgery status, n (%) | |
| Decreased | 158 (73) |
| Stable | 38 (18) |
| Increased | 19 (9) |
| No information | 70 |
| Duration of preceding surgery in minutes, median (range) | 190 (15–470) |
| Extent of resection and residual tumor volume, n (%) | |
| Gross total resection (no contrast enhancing lesion) | 136 (48) |
| Subtotal resection (<5% contrast enhancing tumor) | 77 (27) |
| Incomplete resection (5 ≤ 20% contrast enhancing tumor) | 43 (15) |
| Partial resection (21 ≤ 90% contrast enhancing tumor) | 19 (7) |
| Biopsy (≥90% contrast enhancing tumor) | 10 (4) |
| Postoperative CSF leakage, n (%) | |
| No | 246 (88) |
| Yes | 35 (12) |
| Not evaluable | 4 |
| Postoperative CSF infection, n (%) | |
| No | 280 (98) |
| Yes | 5 (2) |
| Evolution of preoperative deficits after surgery, n (%) | |
| Never experienced deficits | 19 (7) |
| Persistent deficits | 46 (16) |
| Partially resolved deficits | 132 (46) |
| Completely resolved deficits | 61 (21) |
| New deficits | 27 (10) |
| No information | 6 |
| Postoperative hemorrhage, n (%) | |
| No signs of hemorrhage | 102 (37) |
| Intracavity hemorrhage | 49 (18) |
| Cortical hemosiderosis | 3 (1) |
| Subdural hematoma | 14 (5) |
| Epidural hematoma | 4 (1) |
| Hemorrhagic transformation of residual tumor | 93 (33) |
| Multiple of these | 14 (5) |
| Incomplete file | 6 |
Note: The first part of the table shows patient characteristics at the time of detection of BM whereas the second part summarizes data at the first post‐operative control within 4 weeks after surgery. The left column shows the items, the right column shows respective values as indicated.
Abbreviations: BM, brain metastasis; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; KPS, Karnofsky performance status.