Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have revolutionized the treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (ALKr-NSCLC), radiotherapy (RT) still plays an essential role for treatment of both intracranial and extracranial metastases, particularly for patients experienced a TKI-failure. We reported the case of a 38-year-old woman with metastatic ALKr-NSCLC who received whole-brain radiotherapy (RT) for multiple brain metastases (BMs), initially. After RT, alectinib was initiated and the patient had a good clinico-radiological response in both intracranial and extracranial regions. However, intracranial progression was developed and, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) was applied to the four progressed BMs. Two months after SRS, all BMs disappeared. While patient was using alectinib, a recurrent lung lesion, a hilar lymph node and bone metastasis were detected. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) was applied to all metastatic sites and, alectinib was continued again. Three months after SBRT, a complete response was obtained. She has been alive with the initial systemic therapy agent for more than 4years without evidence of neither disease nor toxicity. SRS/SBRT may eradicate the TKI-resistant tumoral clones and it may prevent switching the systemic therapy, even if there is a failure.

Stereotactic radiotherapy has become a standard in the management of patients with brain metastases; its main interest is to differ whole brain radiotherapy, provider of neurocognitive toxicity and to increase the rate of local control. The repetition of radiotherapy sessions under stereotactic conditions is not codified, neither on the number of technically and clinically possible sessions, nor on the maximum total number or volume of metastases to be treated. The purpose of this review is to analyse the data in the literature concerning repeated irradiations under stereotactic conditions. The second reirradiation in stereotactic condition shows satisfactory results in terms of overall survival, local control, and toxicity. However, we lack data for patients receiving more than two sessions of SRS as well as to define dose constraints to reirradiated healthy tissues. Prospective trials are still needed to validate the management of recurrent brain metastases after initial SRS.

No recommandations have been established for reirradiation of brain metastases yet. The purpose of this review is to analyse the data of the five last years about the feasibility, efficacy and tolerance of reirradiation of brain metastases. Reirradiation can be 3D conformal or stereotactic. Whole brain irradiation seems appropriate for multiple brain metastases in order to obtain symptomatic relief, with or without supportive care. Stereotactic reirradiation has shown satisfying results in terms of overall survival, local control, without significant toxicity. Prospective trials are necessary in order to validate consensual recommandations.

Stereotactic radiotherapy of the surgical bed of brain metastases is a technique that comes supplant indications of adjuvant whole brain radiotherapy after surgery. After a growing number of retrospective studies, a phase III trial has been presented and validated this indication. However, several criteria such as the dose, the fractionation, the use of a margin and definition of volumes remain to be defined. Our study consisted in making a literature review in order to provide a guideline of delineation of surgical beds of brain metastases, as well as the different modalities of their implementation process.

Nocardiosis is an infectious disease with wide range of clinical features, which can eventually lead to death. The agent responsible belongs to the genus Nocardia that includes about fifty different species. Nocardiosis occurs mainly in immunocompromised hosts. We report here three cases of disseminated nocardiosis misdiagnosed initially as cerebral metastatic lung cancer. These patients, including two immunocompetent hosts, presented with both pulmonary and cerebral lesions. In all three patients, the diagnosis was based on magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion sequence, apparent diffusion coefficient reconstruction and neurosurgical cerebral biopsies. Treatment with an appropriate antibiotic regimen was prolonged for several months. Progress was favorable with full resolution of the neurological symptoms and the radiological abnormalities. These three cases emphasize the diagnostic challenge of nocardiosis, especially in disseminated disease.