Optimizing therapy for patients with brain metastases.

Brain metastases from systemic cancers are the most common malignant brain tumors encountered. Although prognosis remains poor, it is possible to stratify patients according to risk. Furthermore, an aggressive therapeutic approach for good-risk patients that includes a combination of either surgery or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) can improve survival and decrease the risk of central nervous system progression.