Back to Menu
1. Symptomatic and supportive care
Dexamethasone is used to reduce cerebral edema and lower intracranial pressure; antiseizure prophylaxis and analgesic/antiemetic therapy are provided to stabilize the patient and enable subsequent definitive treatment.
2. Surgical resection
Indicated for solitary or a limited number of accessible lesions, particularly those with significant mass effect. Surgery can rapidly decompress, provide tissue for pathological confirmation, and alleviate symptoms.
3. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)
Gamma Knife and related techniques deliver highly focused high-dose radiation to eradicate small lesions with minimal damage to surrounding brain tissue.
4. Whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT)
A traditional standard that treats the entire brain to control occult micrometastases; hippocampal-sparing techniques can mitigate cognitive decline.
5. Systemic therapy
Targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy is selected based on molecular features of the primary tumor, with attention to blood–brain barrier penetration.
6. Multidisciplinary team model
An MDT evaluates systemic disease status and molecular features to develop an optimized individualized sequence of multimodal therapy.
7. Salvage therapy for recurrence
Options include repeat SRS, surgery, modification of systemic regimens, or enrollment in clinical trials, depending on the recurrence pattern.
8. Specialized management for leptomeningeal metastasis
Craniospinal irradiation combined with intrathecal chemotherapy may be used, along with targeted agents capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier.
9. Emerging therapies and clinical trials
Innovations such as tumor treating fields and novel drug delivery approaches are under investigation; participation in clinical trials may provide access to frontier options.
10. Individualized precision treatment
Decisions integrate lesion number, control of the primary tumor, actionable genomic alterations, and patient performance status.
11. Palliative care and symptom management
In end-stage disease, the focus shifts to comfort-oriented care, including comprehensive management of pain and anxiety and provision of hospice services.
Jinshazhou Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine emphasizes that brain metastases can rapidly compromise neurological function and cause life-threatening intracranial hypertension. Active, standardized MDT-based multimodal treatment is essential for disease control and prolonging high-quality survival. With advances in precision medicine, brain metastases are increasingly managed as a treatable chronic condition. Early diagnosis and coordinated multidisciplinary care can provide patients with valuable time and improved outcomes.
1. Symptomatic and supportive care
Dexamethasone is used to reduce cerebral edema and lower intracranial pressure; antiseizure prophylaxis and analgesic/antiemetic therapy are provided to stabilize the patient and enable subsequent definitive treatment.
2. Surgical resection
Indicated for solitary or a limited number of accessible lesions, particularly those with significant mass effect. Surgery can rapidly decompress, provide tissue for pathological confirmation, and alleviate symptoms.
3. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)
Gamma Knife and related techniques deliver highly focused high-dose radiation to eradicate small lesions with minimal damage to surrounding brain tissue.
4. Whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT)
A traditional standard that treats the entire brain to control occult micrometastases; hippocampal-sparing techniques can mitigate cognitive decline.
5. Systemic therapy
Targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy is selected based on molecular features of the primary tumor, with attention to blood–brain barrier penetration.
6. Multidisciplinary team model
An MDT evaluates systemic disease status and molecular features to develop an optimized individualized sequence of multimodal therapy.
7. Salvage therapy for recurrence
Options include repeat SRS, surgery, modification of systemic regimens, or enrollment in clinical trials, depending on the recurrence pattern.
8. Specialized management for leptomeningeal metastasis
Craniospinal irradiation combined with intrathecal chemotherapy may be used, along with targeted agents capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier.
9. Emerging therapies and clinical trials
Innovations such as tumor treating fields and novel drug delivery approaches are under investigation; participation in clinical trials may provide access to frontier options.
10. Individualized precision treatment
Decisions integrate lesion number, control of the primary tumor, actionable genomic alterations, and patient performance status.
11. Palliative care and symptom management
In end-stage disease, the focus shifts to comfort-oriented care, including comprehensive management of pain and anxiety and provision of hospice services.
Jinshazhou Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine emphasizes that brain metastases can rapidly compromise neurological function and cause life-threatening intracranial hypertension. Active, standardized MDT-based multimodal treatment is essential for disease control and prolonging high-quality survival. With advances in precision medicine, brain metastases are increasingly managed as a treatable chronic condition. Early diagnosis and coordinated multidisciplinary care can provide patients with valuable time and improved outcomes.