European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Aim: To study the clinical and demographic profile of the patients with brain metastases in a tertiary care centre in north India.
Material and methods: This Observational and cross sectional study was conducted among patients attending the outpatient medicine/radiotherapy department or admitted in Government Medical College, Jammu. Total number of 100 patients was taken. The study group comprised of patients with clinical and radiological signs of brain metastasis.
Results: Maximum subjects were from the age group of 51-60 years (41%) followed by 41-50 as well as >60 years (20%). Statistically significant difference was found among the subjects having brain metastasis w.r.t age group as p<0.05. Females and male comprised of 56% and 44% of the subjects respectively. Left and right side of the brain in brain metastasis was found among 33% and 28% of the subjects respectively while bilateral involvement was revealed in 39% of the subjects. Frontal, parietal, temporal occipital and cerebellar was reported among 19%, 53%, 11%, 15% and 2% of the subjects respectively. Supratentorial and infratentorial location of tumour was found among 96% and 4% of the subjects respectively. Hence dominating location of tumour was supratentorial with statistically significant difference as p<0.05. Most common symptom was headache (69%) followed by vomiting (58%) and neurological deficit (40%). Least common reported symptom was cerebellar sign (4%) followed by visual symptoms (24%) and seizures (27%). According to ECOG grading, fully active status was not found in any of the subject. ECOG grade 1, 2, 3 and 4 was reported among 11%, 42%, 33% and 14% of the subjects respectively.
Conclusion: It can be concluded from our results that brain metastases are disease of elderly people with slight female dominance in this area. Lung and breast are the most common primary sources throwing metastases in brain. Most of the patients had multiple lesions at the time of diagnosis.