A case report of long-term survival after radiotherapy for a solitary brain metastasis from breast cancer

This is the report of a patient with a solitary brain metastasis from breast cancer who survived more than 8 years after the first brain metastasis. The brain metastasis was treated with partial removal followed by 30 Gy/15 fructions of whole brain irradiation plus 20 Gy/10 fructions of local boost irradiation for 5weeks. Brain metastases from breast cancer are usually a sign of rapid systemic tumor progression and long-term survivors are extremely rare. However, this case demonstrated the possibility of long-term survival in rare cases of brain metastases from breast cancer. This suggests a need for aggressive therapy in patients with a solitary brain metastasis.