Multidisciplinary Management of Brain Metastasis from Breast Cancer

Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2023 Feb;37(1):183-202. doi: 10.1016/j.hoc.2022.08.017.

Abstract

The management of patients with breast cancer and brain metastases (BMs) is exquisitely multidisciplinary. Patients presenting with a symptomatic BM may be offered neurosurgical resection, followed by radiation. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is preferred over whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) in most patients presenting with a limited number of BMs, whereas WBRT with hippocampal-sparing and concomitant memantine is preferred for patients with multiple BMs. There is a growing role for systemic therapy, in some cases in lieu of local therapy, particularly in patients with HER2+ breast cancer.

Keywords: Brain metastases; Breast cancer; Multidisciplinary care; Multimodal treatments.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Brain Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Memantine
  • Radiosurgery*

Substances

  • Memantine