SRSly lacking.

How effective is immunotherapy alone for brain metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)? This systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 trials that allowed untreated brain mets (n=566) found that the overall response rate with single agent immunotherapy was 16% with a disease control rate of 45%. If we make an apples to oranges comparison to stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for small, asymptomatic brain mets—i.e, the kind that would likely be treated with immunotherapy alone—we should expect >75% local control at one year. Yes immunotherapy has intracranial activity, which is important knowledge for certain clinical situations, but it’s not as effective as radiation in eradicating small asymptomatic brain mets. | Loiola de Alencar, J Thorac Oncol 2021