Sterilization of cerebral metastases by radiation therapy.

It is generally acknowledged that radiation therapy (RT) provides effective palliative treatment for the majority of patients with brain metastases. It is less well known that RT can be "curative." In 10 years, we examined five patients with brain metastases treated with whole-brain radiotherapy and with no residual tumor in the brain at autopsy. These five patients represented about 3 percent (5 of 187) of patients treated for brain metastases and later examined at autopsy. Some metastatic brain tumors are eradicated by RT, and all nonterminal patients should be offered such treatment.