Retrospective Analysis of Survival in Patients with Brain Metastases from an Unknown Primary Tumor

Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the patients with brain metastases from unknown primary (BMUP) cancers, and to analyze the prognostic factors and survival rates. MATERIAL and METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study with 110 patients (mean age: 62.8 years [range 23–90], n=85- 77.3% male and n=25-22.7% female) with BMUP cancers at the time of diagnosis, who presented to our outpatient oncology clinic between January 2015 and December 2019. We employed the following variables as significant prognostic factors for a prominent index of patients’ survival: age, gender, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), number of metastatic lesions, primary site, and type of treatment were analyzed for their prognostic effects on survival outcomes. Patients’ survival was evaluated from plotted Kaplan–Meier curves, and the log-rank test was used for univariate analysis. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 13 months (range 4–60 months). The means of survival after the diagnosis of brain metastasis was 18.7 months for the study group. Lung cancer was the most common primary tumor (74, 5%). The KPS and number of lesions were found to have a prognostic effect on survival. Survival analysis showed no statistical significance with age and gender, primary site, type of treatment. CONCLUSION: This study showed that KPS, and the number of lesions affect the survival outcomes but both the other variables. Therefore, BMUP cancer is indeed related to poor prognosis. KEYWORDS: Brain metastases, Neoplasm, Survival analysis, Unknown primary, Prognosis