How surgery helped people whose cancer spread to the brain
Original title: The role of neurosurgery for brain metastases between 2012 and 2022: Results of the multicenter SUBAROMA study.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
Surgery, radiation, and these drugs are already used in everyday care today.
The short version
A large study found that brain surgery helped many people feel and function better, so they could get more treatment.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at the records of 2,751 people whose cancer had spread to the brain. Each person had surgery as their first treatment, over an 11-year period.
What they found. After surgery, many people were able to do more of their daily activities. The whole tumor was removed in 73% of people, and 20.4% had problems from the surgery. The cancer came back in the same spot for 23.5% of people by 1 year and 40.4% by 4 years. People who had surgery, then radiation, then drug treatment did best. More than 30% of them were alive 5 years later.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: For some people whose cancer has spread to the brain, surgery may help them feel stronger. That can make it possible to get radiation and other drugs afterward. Choosing the right people for surgery matters a lot. Ask your doctor if surgery is a good fit for you.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean surgery is right for everyone. The study looked back at past records, so it cannot prove what caused what. Many people still had their cancer come back. Surgery is not a cure, and results depend on age, how many tumors there are, and cancer in the rest of the body.
Source: PubMed, December 16, 2025 · Read the original
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