Role of radiotherapy in the management of brain metastases of NSCLC – Decision criteria in clinical routine

Highlights: • WBRT is commonly used among experts, mostly for symptomatic patients or not suitable for SBRT. • For asymptomatic BMs amenable to targeted therapies, most experts defer potential WBRT. • WBRT with 10 × 3 Gy was the most commonly used fractionation regimen among the experts. Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is a common treatment option for brain metastases secondary to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Data from the QUARTZ trial suggest that WBRT can be omitted in selected patients and treated with optimal supportive care alone. Nevertheless, WBRT is still widely used to treat brain metastases secondary to NSCLC. We analysed decision criteria influencing the selection for WBRT among European radiation oncology experts.