Therapeutic effects of whole brain radiotherapy with carboplatin as radiation sensitizer in management of brain metastasis

ABSTRACT

To determine the efficacy of whole brain radiotherapy [WBRT] with carboplatin as radiation sensitizer in metastatic brain disease in our adult population. Quasi-experimental study. Department of Oncology, Combined Military Hospital [CMH], Rawalpindi, Pakistan from July 2011 to September 2012. Forty two patients with metastatic brain disease having ECOG performance status [PS] 3 or less with normal hematological and biochemical profile were treated with WBRT with 6MV Photon beam on linear accelerator using parallel opposed lateral beams to a dose of 30 Gys in 10 fractions. Carboplatin was administered in a dose of 150 mg/m2 on day 1 and 6 of WBRT. Improvement in PS and radiological response on CT scan/ MRI brain before and 30 days after the WBRT using response evaluation criteria in solid tumors [RECIST] was evaluated. Out of 42 patients, 38 [90%] showed improvement in PS, 4 [10%] showed either no improvement or worsening of PS [p< 0.001]. Seventeen [41%] patients had complete response, 19 [45%] had partial response, 3 [7%] showed stable disease and 3 [7%] had progressive disease. None of the patients showed grade 3/4 toxicity during treatment. WBRT with carboplatin as radiation sensitizer is effective in palliation of patients with metastatic brain disease