Nature Communications (May 2025)
Multi-institutional atlas of brain metastases informs spatial modeling for precision imaging and personalized therapy
- Jorge Barrios,
- Evan Porter,
- Dante P. I. Capaldi,
- Taman Upadhaya,
- William C. Chen,
- Julian R. Perks,
- Aditya Apte,
- Michalis Aristophanous,
- Eve LoCastro,
- Dylan Hsu,
- Payton H. Stone,
- Javier E. Villanueva-Meyer,
- Gilmer Valdes,
- Fei Jiang,
- Michael Maddalena,
- Ase Ballangrud,
- Kayla Prezelski,
- Hui Lin,
- Jinger Y. Sun,
- Muhtada A. K. Aldin,
- Oi Wai Chau,
- Benjamin Ziemer,
- Maasa Seaberg,
- Penny K. Sneed,
- Jean L. Nakamura,
- Lauren C. Boreta,
- Shannon E. Fogh,
- David R. Raleigh,
- Jessica Chew,
- Harish Vasudevan,
- Soonmee Cha,
- Christopher Hess,
- Ruben Fragoso,
- David B. Shultz,
- Luke Pike,
- Shawn L. Hervey-Jumper,
- Derek S. Tsang,
- Philip Theodosopoulos,
- Daniel Cooke,
- Stanley H. Benedict,
- Ke Sheng,
- Jan Seuntjens,
- Catherine Coolens,
- Joseph O. Deasy,
- Steve Braunstein,
- Olivier Morin
Affiliations
- Jorge Barrios
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Evan Porter
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Dante P. I. Capaldi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Taman Upadhaya
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- William C. Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Julian R. Perks
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis Health
- Aditya Apte
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering
- Michalis Aristophanous
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering
- Eve LoCastro
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering
- Dylan Hsu
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Payton H. Stone
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis Health
- Javier E. Villanueva-Meyer
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco
- Gilmer Valdes
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Fei Jiang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco
- Michael Maddalena
- Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
- Ase Ballangrud
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering
- Kayla Prezelski
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering
- Hui Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Jinger Y. Sun
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis Health
- Muhtada A. K. Aldin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis Health
- Oi Wai Chau
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Benjamin Ziemer
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Maasa Seaberg
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Penny K. Sneed
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Jean L. Nakamura
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Lauren C. Boreta
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Shannon E. Fogh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- David R. Raleigh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Jessica Chew
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Harish Vasudevan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Soonmee Cha
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco
- Christopher Hess
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco
- Ruben Fragoso
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis Health
- David B. Shultz
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto
- Luke Pike
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering
- Shawn L. Hervey-Jumper
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco
- Derek S. Tsang
- Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
- Philip Theodosopoulos
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco
- Daniel Cooke
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco
- Stanley H. Benedict
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis Health
- Ke Sheng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Jan Seuntjens
- Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
- Catherine Coolens
- Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
- Joseph O. Deasy
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Steve Braunstein
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- Olivier Morin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59584-7
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 16,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 15
Abstract
Abstract Brain metastases are a frequent and debilitating manifestation of advanced cancer. Here, we collect and analyze neuroimaging of 3,065 cancer patients with 13,067 brain metastases, representing an extensive collection for research. We find that metastases predominantly localize to high perfusion areas near the grey-white matter junction, but also identify notable differences depending on the primary cancer histology as well as brain regions which do not conform to this relationship. Lung and breast cancers, in contrast to melanoma, frequently metastasize to the cerebellum, hinting at biological pathways of spread. Additionally, the deep brain structures are relatively spared from metastasis, regardless of primary cancer type. Leveraging this data, we propose a probabilistic brain metastasis risk model to enhance the therapeutic ratio of whole-brain radiotherapy by targeting high risk areas while preserving cortical and subcortical brain regions of functional significance and low metastasis risk, potentially reducing the cognitive side effects of therapy.
