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Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) alone versus WBRT and radiosurgery for the treatment of brain metastases

Overview of attention for article published in Cochrane database of systematic reviews, September 2017
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  • In the top 25% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (89th percentile)
  • Above-average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (52nd percentile)

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1 news outlet
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16 X users
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Citations

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210 Mendeley
Title
Whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) alone versus WBRT and radiosurgery for the treatment of brain metastases
Published in
Cochrane database of systematic reviews, September 2017
DOI 10.1002/14651858.cd006121.pub4
Pubmed ID
Authors

Chirag G Patil, Katie Pricola, J Manuel Sarmiento, Sachin K Garg, Andrew Bryant, Keith L Black

Abstract

Historically, whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) has been the main treatment for brain metastases. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) delivers high-dose focused radiation and is being increasingly utilized to treat brain metastases. The benefit of adding SRS to WBRT is unclear. This is an updated version of the original Cochrane Review published in Issue 9, 2012. To assess the efficacy of WBRT plus SRS versus WBRT alone in the treatment of adults with brain metastases. For the original review, in 2009 we searched the following electronic databases: CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and CancerLit in order to identify trials for inclusion in this review. For the first update the searches were updated in May 2012.For this update, in May 2017 we searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and Embase in order to identify trials for inclusion in the review. We restricted the review to randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared use of WBRT plus SRS versus WBRT alone for upfront treatment of adults with newly diagnosed metastases (single or multiple) in the brain resulting from any primary, extracranial cancer. We used the generic inverse variance method, random-effects model in Review Manager 5 for the meta-analysis. We identified three studies and one abstract for inclusion but we could only include two studies, with a total of 358 participants in a meta-analysis. This found no difference in overall survival (OS) between the WBRT plus SRS and WBRT alone groups (hazard ratio (HR) 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.65 to 1.02; 2 studies, 358 participants; moderate-quality evidence). For participants with one brain metastasis median survival was significantly longer in the WBRT plus SRS group (6.5 months) versus WBRT group (4.9 months; P = 0.04). Participants in the WBRT plus SRS group had decreased local failure compared to participants who received WBRT alone (HR 0.27, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.52; 2 studies, 129 participants; moderate-quality evidence). Furthermore, we observed an improvement in performance status scores and decrease in steroid use in the WBRT plus SRS group (risk ratio (RR) 0.64 CI 0.42 to 0.97; 1 study, 118 participants; low-quality evidence). Unchanged or improved Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) at six months was seen in 43% of participants in the combined therapy group versus only 28% in the WBRT-alone group (RR 0.78 CI 0.61 to 1.00; P value = 0.05; 1 study, 118 participants; low-quality evidence). Overall, risk of bias in the included studies was unclear. Since the last version of this review we have identified one new study that met the inclusion criteria. However, due to a lack of data from this study we were not able to include it in a meta-analysis. Given the unclear risk of bias in the included studies, the results of this analysis have to be interpreted with caution. In our analysis of all included participants, SRS plus WBRT did not show a survival benefit over WBRT alone. However, performance status and local control were significantly better in the SRS plus WBRT group. Furthermore, significantly longer OS was reported in the combined treatment group for recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) Class I patients as well as patients with single metastasis. Most of our outcomes of interest were graded as moderate-quality evidence according to the GRADE criteria and the risk of bias in the majority of included studies was mostly unclear.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 210 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Canada 1 <1%
Unknown 209 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Other 24 11%
Researcher 24 11%
Student > Bachelor 22 10%
Student > Ph. D. Student 19 9%
Student > Master 18 9%
Other 44 21%
Unknown 59 28%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 83 40%
Nursing and Health Professions 18 9%
Social Sciences 7 3%
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science 7 3%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 4 2%
Other 25 12%
Unknown 66 31%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 20. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 08 October 2020.
All research outputs
#1,878,511
of 25,461,852 outputs
Outputs from Cochrane database of systematic reviews
#4,031
of 12,090 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#35,976
of 328,439 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Cochrane database of systematic reviews
#91
of 190 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,461,852 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 92nd percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 12,090 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 38.2. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 67% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 328,439 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 89% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 190 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 52% of its contemporaries.