Brain Metastases from Thyroid Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study of 21 Patients

Background: Brain metastases (BM) from differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) are uncommon, and many questions about their management remain unsolved. The objective of this retrospective study was to analyze the characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of patients with BM from DTC. Methods: Among the 1523 patients with a DTC prospectively recorded in institutional databases between 1989 and 2012, 21 patients (1.4%) with BM were retrospectively retrieved. Patient characteristics, histological findings on initial thyroidectomy specimen, treatments, and time to death were reviewed. Overall survival (OS) was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Survival curves for various subgroups of patients according to baseline characteristics and treatment received were compared. Results: The mean age at initial and BM diagnosis was, respectively, 52.7 and 63.2 years. World Health Organization performance status (PS) at BM diagnosis was good (