Brain Mets Basics for NSCLC: What Are Brain Metastases and How Do We Treat Them?

Juhi Kunde, Director of Science and Research Marketing

Read time: 2 minutes.

Brain metastases (also called brain mets) develop when cancer from somewhere else in the body spreads to the brain.

Over time, tumors can become metastatic (travel to other parts of the body). When lung cancer travels to the brain, it requires specialized treatments that can cross the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier is a tight network of blood vessels and tissue that allows some substances, such as oxygen and water, into the brain while protecting it from potentially harmful substances—including some anticancer drugs.

Often, different types of lung cancer require different types of treatment for brain mets. For example, treatment for people with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) brain metastasis may include surgery and radiation therapy. For those with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with known biomarkers, specialized treatments for brain metastasis may be available.

In the video below, Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, chief of medical oncology, chief scientific officer and deputy director of Miami Cancer Institute, explains the progress we’ve made treating brain metastases in many types of NSCLC.

You can watch the entire discussion or use the timestamps below to find specific topics of interest.

How Common Are Brain Metastases in Lung Cancer? 00:34 – 4:15

Lung cancer accounts for about half of all brain metastases cases, and thanks to better testing more people are being diagnosed with brain mets, making it possible for them to get treated.

Treating Brain Mets with Radiosurgery and TKIs: 4:16 – 18:48

An overview of lung cancer biomarkers and the progress in treating lung cancer that metastasized to the brain with radiosurgery and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). This segment also includes discussions of treating EGFR+ lung cancer.

Treating Brain Mets with Known Biomarkers: 18:49 – 35:43

Dr. Ahluwalia dedicated several minutes of his talk to discussing the treatment of brain metastases for different NSCLC biomarkers. You can jump to the section of interest below.

18:49 – 24:41 ALK
24:42 – 26:12 RET
26:14 – 30:30 NTRK
30:31 – 31:04 ROS1
31:05 – 33:16 KRAS
34:38 – 35:43 MET

If you have a known biomarker, make sure to visit the LUNGevity Patient Gateway specific to your biomarker for more information about available treatments, finding a specialist, clinical trials, online support groups, and more.

Using Immunotherapy to Treat Brain Mets: 35:44 – 40:43

In the last decade, immunotherapy has transformed how lung cancer is treated, and now it’s being considered as an option to treat brain metastases in people with NSCLC. Studies are showing that immunotherapy may indeed work in shrinking brain mets and can remain effective for years, especially when combined with other treatments.

Future of Treating Brain Metastases: 40:44 – 46:10

Dr. Ahluwalia closes by sharing promising research studies that are looking to improve the way we treat lung cancer with brain metastases in the future. This segment ends with a conclusion and key takeaways.