First line chemotherapy in patients with brain metastases from non-small and small cell lung cancer.

In this study we evaluated the role of systemic chemotherapy in 23 previously untreated patients with brain metastases from both non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In NSCLC group, 2 patients out of 14 had a brain response after treatment (1 complete and 1 partial response). In the group of 9 patients with SCLC, we observed 5 brain responses (3 complete and 2 partial responses). Brain responses were in accordance with extracranial responses although this appeared more clearly in SCLC than in NSCLC patients.