By Dr Hamish Alexander
Metastatic tumors are the most common neoplasm in the brain, occuring in 24-45% of all cancer patients and accounting for 20% of cancer deaths annually. These rates are on the increase due to a boost in survival of patients with cancer because of modern therapies along with increased availability of advanced imaging techniques for early detection. Newer therapies such as immunotherapy prolong overall survival in some cancers such as Melanoma but like many other chemotherapy drugs penetrate the CNS poorly, leaving the brain a safe haven for tumor growth.
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