"Our results establish a new standard of care for the treating oncologist and provide patients with realistic hope for an improved prognosis and better quality of life after treatment," Dr. Andrews says.
"This is the first non-surgical treatment to show benefit for brain metastases in any group of patients," says RTOG group chairman Walter J. Curran, Jr., M.D., professor and chair of radiation oncology at Jefferson Medical College and clinical director of Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center.
Brain metastases affect as many as 100,000 individuals.
"It's a real advance in the management of patients with brain metastases," says Dr. Curran.
Other study authors include Adam Flanders, M.D., and Maria Werner-Wasik, M.D., Thomas Jefferson University; Charles Scott, Ph.D., American College of Radiology; Paul Sperduto, M.D., Metro Minneapolis CCOP; Laurie Gaspar, M.D., University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; Michael Schell, Ph.D., University of Rochester Cancer Center; William Demas, M.D., Akron City Hospital; Janice Ryu, M.D., University of California, Davis Medical Center; Jean-Paul Bahary, M.D., Notre Dame Hospital/University of Montreal; Louis Souhami, M.D., from McGill University; Marvin Rotman, M.D., SUNY Health Science Center, Brooklyn; and Minesh Mehta, M.D., University of Wisconsin Medical School.
Additional Contact Information: Steve Benowitz or Phyllis Fisher
215-955-6300
After Hours: 215-955-6060 E-Mail: steven.benowitz@jefferson.edu
The Lancet