Real-world disease burden and outcomes of brain metastases in mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer.

To evaluate the real-world impact of brain metastases (BM) among patients with mutation-positive (m) metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This retrospective, observational matched cohort electronic health record study assessed adults with m metastatic NSCLC with/without BM. Among 402 patients split equally between both cohorts (±BM), the majority were Caucasian (69%), female (65%) and with adenocarcinoma (92%). Overall symptom burden and ancillary support service use were higher and median overall survival from metastatic diagnosis was significantly shorter in BM patients (11.9 vs 16 months; p = 0.017). BM in m NSCLC patients can negatively impact clinical outcomes. New targeted therapies that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier should be considered for treating these patients.