Does initial staging or tumor histology better identify asymptomatic brain metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer?
There was no significant difference in tumor histology, staging, or distribution between symptomatic or asymptomatic patients with NSCLC with brain metastases. The odds of brain metastases were greater in those with adenocarcinoma or large-cell carcinoma.
Despite relative heterogeneity, the biologic behavior of multifocal tumors is not different from that observed in unifocal histologic tumors.