High-dose MR in the evaluation of brain metastases: will increased detection decrease costs?

Brain metastases occur in about 25% of patients with cancer and are often diagnosed within the first year after the diagnosis of the primary tumor. The treatment of patients with brain metastases usually depends on whether they are solitary or multiple. Surgical resection has been shown to prolong survival by 6 months and improve the quality of life in patients with solitary brain metastases. However, surgery is not usually considered appropriate for patients with multiple brain metastases. A phase III multicenter trial in this issue demonstrates that the sensitivity of magnetic resonance (MR) in the detection of brain metastases can be increased by increasing the dose of contrast. In this trial comparing high-dose (0.3 mmol/kg) with standard-dose (0.1 mmol/kg) gadolinium, 50% more lesions were detected on the high-dose examinations. 15 refs., 1 tab.