Brain Metastases

The Basics

Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate пїЅ пїЅ

What are brain metastases? " пїЅ Brain metastases are cancerous tumors in the brain that have spread to the brain from another part of the body. Cancers that commonly spread to the brain include lung, breast, kidney, colorectal, and skin (melanoma) cancers. пїЅ пїЅ

Brain metastases are different from primary brain cancer. Primary brain cancer happens when normal cells in the brain change into abnormal cells and grow out of control. Brain metastases are made up of cancer cells from another part of the body. пїЅ пїЅ

What are the symptoms of brain metastases? " пїЅ Brain metastases can cause different symptoms, including: пїЅ пїЅ

Headache " пїЅ The headache is often worse when you bend over, cough, or sneeze. Some people have nausea and vomiting with their headache.
Trouble moving your arm or leg on one side of your body
Memory or thinking problems
Changes in mood, behavior, or personality
Seizures " пїЅ Seizures are waves of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. They can make people pass out, or move or behave strangely.

All of these symptoms can also be caused by conditions that are not brain metastases. But if you have cancer and get any of these symptoms, tell your doctor or nurse. пїЅ пїЅ

Is there a test for brain metastases? " пїЅ Yes. The test most commonly done to check for brain metastases is an imaging test called an MRI. Imaging tests create pictures of the inside of the body. пїЅ пїЅ

Another test that is sometimes done is a brain biopsy. For a brain biopsy, a doctor takes a small sample of tissue from the tumor. Then another doctor looks at the sample under a microscope. пїЅ пїЅ

How are brain metastases treated? " пїЅ Treatment depends on many factors, such as: пїЅ пїЅ

Your symptoms
How far the cancer has spread in your body
Your overall health
Your prognosis " пїЅ This is the term doctors use to describe how long they expect you to live.

Treatment for brain metastases can include one or more of the following: пїЅ пїЅ

Surgery to remove all or part of a tumor
Radiation therapy " пїЅ Radiation kills cancer cells. Doctors use radiation in different ways to treat brain metastases. With "whole brain radiation therapy, " пїЅ the whole brain is treated with radiation. With "stereotactic radiosurgery, " пїЅ the radiation is aimed only at the area with cancer.

People also usually have other treatments to help with symptoms or problems caused by the brain metastases. These might include: пїЅ пїЅ

Medicines called steroids that can reduce swelling in the brain " пїЅ These are different from the steroids athletes take to build muscle.
Medicines to manage and prevent seizures

What happens if my brain metastases come back or spread? " пїЅ It depends on your individual situation. Your doctor might recommend that you have more treatment for the brain metastases. This can include surgery or radiation therapy. It sometimes also includes chemotherapy, which is the term doctors use to describe a group of medicines that kill cancer cells. Or your doctor might recommend treating your symptoms only and helping you feel more comfortable. пїЅ пїЅ

Will I need to stop driving? " пїЅ It depends on your symptoms. Talk with your doctor about whether it is safe for you to continue to drive, given your symptoms. пїЅ пїЅ

If you have a seizure, you will need to be seizure-free for a certain amount of time before you can drive again. Each state and country has its own rules. пїЅ пїЅ

What else should I do? " пїЅ Its important to follow all of your doctor's instructions about visits and tests. It's also important to talk to your doctor about any side effects or problems you have during treatment. пїЅ пїЅ

Getting treated for brain metastases involves making many choices, such as what treatment to have. Always let your doctors and nurses know how you feel about a treatment. Any time you are offered a treatment, ask: пїЅ пїЅ

What are the benefits of this treatment? Is it likely to help me live longer? Will it reduce or prevent symptoms?
What are the downsides to this treatment?
Are there other options besides this treatment?
What happens if I do not have this treatment?

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. пїЅ пїЅ

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. пїЅ пїЅ

Topic 86632 Version 3.0 пїЅ пїЅ

Release: 22.8 - C22.208 пїЅ пїЅ

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Brain Metastases

The Basics

Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer

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