A
brain metastasis is a
cancer that has
metastasized (spread) to the brain from another location in the body. As primary cancer treatments such as
surgery,
radiation therapy and
chemotherapy have become more effective in the past few decades, people with cancer are living longer after initial treatment than ever before. However, brain metastases still occur in many patients months or even years after their original cancer treatment. Brain metastases have a poor prognosis for cure, but modern treatments are allowing patients to live months and sometimes years after the diagnosis.