Estimating the lifespan of elderly patients with cerebral metastases from kidney cancer

Background/Aim: Outcomes of elderly patients with cerebral metastases from kidney cancer may be improved by personalized treatment. A scoring instrument for estimating survival in these patients is presented. Patients and Methods: Twenty-four elderly kidney cancer patients receiving whole-brain irradiation (WBI) were retrospectively investigated. WBI-regimen and six pre-treatment factors were evaluated including age, gender, performance score, number of cerebral metastases, extracranial metastases and time from kidney cancer diagnosis to WBI. Results: Number of cerebral metastases (p=0.194) and time from kidney cancer diagnosis to WBI (p=0.107) correlated with survival and were included in the instrument. Based on these factors, patient scores of 0, 1 and 2 points resulted in 6-month survival rates of 0%, 15% and 60% (p=0.131), respectively. Two groups were designed, 0-1 and 2 points, with 6-month survival rates of 11% and 60% (p=0.108), respectively. Conclusion: This new instrument can assist physicians aiming to estimate a patient's survival prognosis to provide personalized treatment.