Brain metastasis in patients with sarcoma

BACKGROUND The clinical characteristics of brain metastasis from sarcoma are not well known. We examined the incidence and the characteristics of brain metastasis in patients with sarcomas. METHODS All sarcoma patients treated at our institution from 1975 to 1998 were reviewed for brain metastasis. Diagnosis of the primary tumor was confirmed histologically, and brain metastasis was confirmed using computed tomographic (CT) brain scan. RESULTS Brain metastasis was found in 27 (5.6%) of 480 patients with systemic sarcoma (7.2% soft part sarcoma, 3.5% bone sarcoma, 15.1% distant metastasis). Of these 27 sarcoma patients with brain metastases, lung metastasis occurred in 16 patients (59.3%). Out of 10 patients surgically treated, 8 patients survived more than 16 months. Median survival period after craniotomy was 25.4 months. CONCLUSIONS We recommend aggressive treatment for those patients with brain metastases whose performance scores are over 70.