ABSTRACT
Aim: To identify prognostic factors of survival in patients with brain metastases (BM) and to devise a prognostic score. Patients & methods: In this single-institution retrospective study, we analyzed potential clinical prognostic factors in 1363 patients with BM. Based on the Cox proportional hazard model, we devised a BM score with three classes (score <5, 5-6 and >6). Results: The 1-year overall survival (OS) was 26%. Independent prognostic factors of OS were: age, gender, Karnofski performance status, number of BM, control of primary, presence of extracerebral metastases and type of primary tumor. The 1-year OS was 56% for score <5; 21% for score 5-6 and 4% for score >6 (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The BM score we propose is effective in grouping patients according to their prognosis and can help decision making regarding treatment adjustments.
