This research study is a Phase III clinical trial. Phase III clinical trials examine the safety and effectiveness of a treatment, often comparing it to another known treatment. In this case, the investigators are specifically looking at differences between two forms of radiation treatment in terms of subsequent quality of life.
In this research study, the investigators are comparing stereotactic (focused, pinpoint) radiation (in which each tumor is narrowly targeted) against whole brain radiation (radiation targeting the entire brain) in the treatment of brain metastases. Currently whole brain radiation is the standard option for patients with 5-20 brain metastases. Stereotactic radiation is the standard option for patients with 1-4 brain metastases. Among patients with 1-4 brain metastases, recently published studies suggest that stereotactic radiation results in fewer neurologic side effects than whole brain radiation. It also yields better quality of life in this population. It remains unknown whether stereotactic radiation improves quality of life in patients with 5-20 brain metastases relative to whole brain radiation. In this study, the investigators seek to determine which of the two methods of study treatment results in a better subsequent quality of life for patients with 5-20 brain metastases.
