Lung cancer brain metastases: poor Karnofsky status is no contraindication for neurosurgical resection

Neurosurgical resection is a standard local treatment for lung cancer brain metastases (LCBMs). It is not known whether resection also provides survival benefit in LCBM patients with poor Karnofsky performance status (KPS). A retrospective cohort study at three centers in China found that among patients with LCBMs and a KPS ≤ 70, neurosurgical resection was associated with improved overall survival in unadjusted multivariate COX analysis (A), and after PSM adjustment (B) and IPTW adjustment (C).