survival and prognostic factors in cerebral metastases of breast cancer a number of prognostic factors have emerged from a retrospective study of 83 patients with breast cancer associated with a solid intracerebral tumour 59 or meningeal invasion 33 or both 8 the median survival was 4 months without significant difference between breast tumours and meningeal carcinomatosis women in premenopause at the initial diagnosis of breast cancer p less than or equal to 005 or who were 50 years of age when the cerebral metastasis occurred p less than or equal to 005 or who had only one metastasis p less than or equal to 002 had a better prognosis during meningeal carcinomatosis csf protein and carcinoembryonic antigen levels have no prognostic value all patients with intracerebral tumour had been irradiated 40 gy over 4 weeks the tumour was removed whenever possible intrathecal or systemic chemotherapy and hormone therapy seem to be favourable prognostic factors this would suggest that chemotherapy may increase the survival of patients with this type of breast cancer but only randomized studies will demonstrate its true effectiveness