Prognostic factors in patients with brain metastases from lung carcinoma: preliminary result of the second trial.

Between September 1980 to December 1984, 85 patients with brain metastases from lung carcinoma were consecutively evaluated and were entered into the first prospective randomized trial. Since January 1985, the second prospective randomized trial was started based on the result of the first trial, i.e., lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as the most important prognostic factor. We analyzed neurological improvement and survival of 79 patients, who were entered into the second trial until November 1988, compared with the first trial. This preliminary result suggests that LDH may also be an important prognostic factor in the second trial and neurological improvement may depend upon the irradiation dose, therefore we need further investigation in this second trial.