Abstract
BACKGROUND: In this report we present the results of the retrospective (survival and classification) analyses of possible prognostic factors prolonging survival in epithelial ovarian cancer brain metastases patients after stereotactic radiotherapy. We focus on a wide range of available predictors to establish survival in patients with a good health status and no more than three lesions. METHODS: Two parallel statistical methods in survival analysis were used: classical and Bayesian methods to verify statistical results. To display the predicted and posterior survivals, classification trees were built. RESULTS: From the initial set of prognostic factors, only four were established as statistically significant in multivariate regression. They were: survival to metastases to brain after epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosis, number of metastases at diagnosis, central nervous system radiotherapy prior to stereotactic radiotherapy, and interval to stereotactic radiotherapy after metastases diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: When considering evidence-based standards of treatment of patients suffering from epithelial ovarian cancer brain metastases, the established clinical factors are suggested to be prognostic.