Presurgical radiation therapy may offer alternative approach to treating brain metastases
MD Anderson Research Highlight June 25, 2025
Many patients with?brain metastases?receive?stereotactic radiation therapy?(SRT) ¨C a targeted high dose of radiation ¨C after?surgery to remove the metastases. Studies have suggested that pre-surgical SRT may be comparable to standard post-surgical SRT, but little is known about both methods from clinical trials. To address this, researchers led by?, conducted a Phase III clinical trial examining the logistics and short-term safety of both pre- and post-surgical SRT in 103 patients with resectable brain metastases. Compared to post-surgical SRT, preliminary results show that pre-surgical SRT resulted in similar 30-day post-surgical toxicity outcomes with potentially shorter time between surgery and radiation. These findings suggest that giving SRT before surgery is a promising, potentially safe?strategy for patients with brain metastases. Learn more in?.
This study is a preliminary evaluation of the logistics of both therapies for patients with brain metastases and, impressively, represents a collaborative effort across multiple disciplines at MD Anderson.