Stereotactic Radiation Therapy With or Without Whole-Brain Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Brain Metastases

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Diagnosis of cerebral metastases meeting the following criteria:
• •* One to three presumed brain metastases
• •* Metastases must be from a histologically confirmed extracerebral site (e.g., lung, breast, prostate)
• •* Histologic confirmation may have been from the primary tumor site, from another metastatic site (e.g., osseous metastasis, adrenal metastasis), or from the metastatic brain lesion(s)
• •* Each lesion must measure less than 3.0 cm by contrast MRI of the brain performed within the past 21 days
• •* Lesions must not be within 5 mm of the optic chiasm or within the brainstem
• •Eligibility for treatment with gamma knife or linear accelerator-based radiosurgery confirmed by a radiation oncologist
• •No primary germ cell tumor, small cell carcinoma, or lymphoma
• •No leptomeningeal metastases
• •Hormone receptor status not specified
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Male or female
• •Menopausal status not specified
• •ECOG performance status 0-2
• •Not pregnant
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •* Male patients must continue to use contraception for 3 months after the completion of radiotherapy
• •No pacemaker or other MRI-incompatible metal in the body
• •No known allergy to gadolinium
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •More than 7 days since prior and no concurrent chemotherapy
• •No prior cranial radiotherapy
• •No prior resection of cerebral metastases
• •Concurrent hormonal agents, steroids, and/or anticonvulsants allowed