Validation of a survival score for patients receiving radiosurgery or fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for 1 to 3 brain metastases

Background/Aim: We developed a scoring system to predict 1-year survival after radiosurgery for 1-3 brain metastases. This study aimed to validate this system. Patients and Methods: Seventy-six new patients were included in this validation study. Like in the original scoring-system, three factors (age, performance status, extra-cranial metastases) were used. For each factor, 1-year survival rates in % were divided by 10, and the three scoring-points were added for each patient. Results: Patient’s scores were 10, 11, 13, 14, 16 or 17 points with 1-year survival rates ranging between 31% and 80%. Two groups, 10-14 and 16-17 points were formed. In the 14-16 points group, 1-year survival was 47% (versus 33% in the preceding study, p=0.060). In the 16-17 points group, 1-year survival rates were 75% versus 77% (p=0.79). Conclusion: In the more favorable group, the scoring-system was very reproducible. In the less favorable group, the difference was larger, but also not signficant.