Craniocerebral radiotherapy for EGFR‑mutant non‑small cell lung cancer with brain metastasis: Current evidence and future perspectives on therapeutic strategies (Review)

Brain metastases (BMs) frequently occur in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and are associated with a poor prognosis. Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have shown notable potential in treating patients with NSCLC and BMs due to their enhanced ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. However, failure pattern analyses reveal that initial disease progression (PD) in most patients primarily occurs in the brain, with >50% of cranial PD occurring exclusively at the original metastatic sites. This highlights the potential clinical importance of craniocerebral radiotherapy. Nevertheless, current clinical research indicates that not all patients with BMs will benefit from combined craniocerebral radiotherapy. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of relevant clinical factors is essential before selecting the most suitable treatment approach for these patients.