[Clinical evaluation for radiotherapy of metastatic brain tumors in lung cancer: prognostic analyses relevant to QOL].

From 1986 through 1992, 144 patients with metastatic brain tumors of lung cancer were treated with X-ray irradiation to whole brain or a comparatively wide field of the brain. To identify the subset of patients indicated for boost therapy like a stereotactic radiotherapy, we have analyzed the treatment results concerning both survival and performance status (PS). Median survival time of the patients in good PS (0-2) was 6.7 months, which was significantly better than 2.3 months in poor PS (3-4). Complete tumor-resectability, age, steroid therapy and condition within two months after the beginning of brain irradiation, seemed to be important prognostic indicators correlated with PS by both univariate and multivariates analyses.