Table 1 Baseline clinical and treatment characteristics of patients registered for prospective QoL assessment

total

n = 151

100 %

primary tumor

non-small cell lung cancer

70

46

small-cell lung cancer

20

13

melanoma

12

8

renal cell carcinoma

7

5

colorectal cancer

3

2

breast cancer

25

17

others

12

8

unknown

2

1

Karnofsky performance score

≥ 70

119

79

< 70

30

20

unknown

2

1

RPA classification

1

17

11

2

99

66

3

33

22

unknown

2

1

GPA classification

0-1.0

63

43

1.5-2.5

70

48

3.0

11

7

3.5-4.0

3

2

unknown

4

3

Barthel index

90-100

115

76

<90

34

23

unknown

2

1

fractionation of whole-brain radiotherapy

10x3 Gy

80

53

14x2.5 Gy

12

8

others

32

21

unknown

5

3

fractionation of stereotactic radiotherapy

1x18-20 Gy

10

7

7x5 Gy

4

3

5x6 Gy

4

3

10x4 Gy

1

1

initial steroid dose (prednisone equivalent)

no steroids

41

27

daily dose <50 mg

38

25

daily dose 50–100 mg

38

25

daily dose >100 mg

26

17

unknown

8

5

extracranial tumor status

primary tumor (PT) not detectable

54

36

PT detectable, not progressive

44

29

PT progressive

48

32

PT status unknown

5

3

any extracranial metastases

104

70

intracranial tumor status

>3 metastases

83

56

1-3 metastases

65

44

number of metastases unknown

4

3

largest metastasis >2 cm

53

35

diameter of metastases unknown

17

12