Brain Metastases in Adults: A Five-Year Observational Study From King Abdulaziz Medical City

Abstract

Background As a well-documented fact, metastatic brain tumors are the most common cause of brain tumors in adults, with an incidence of 9-17%, based on various studies, although it was thought to be higher. The aim of this study was to describe recorded cases of metastatic brain tumors in the adult population of a tertiary care and oncology center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods This study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) at King Khalid Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, including records from January 2016 to December 2020. The study implemented a retrospective cohort design to fulfill its aim. A data collection sheet containing demographic data such as age and gender, and information pertaining to the primary pathology, multiplicity, and survival outcome was used. Results A total number of 213 patients were enrolled in this study. Overall, 68.1% of the sample comprised of females. Approximately two-thirds (61.9%) of the patients' imaging results revealed multiplicity, whereas the remaining third (38.1%) had solitary lesions. The estimated overall survival median after the diagnosis of brain metastasis was six months (95% CI: 5.5-6.5). Conclusion We recommend conducting a nationwide study to better understand the incidence in accordance to geographical and gender differences. We can further expand our research to include other institutes in Saudi Arabia, and include important predictors such as time from the diagnosis of primary pathology to brain metastasis, disease progression cost, and disease progression in the months prior to the patients' death.