Metastatic Brain Tumors In The Central Texas Military And Veteran Population

Abstract There are relatively few studies on brain metastases in the military population, despite increased risk factors for the development of some cancers. This data was compared to the results from previously published epidemiological data Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER; Cagney et al, 2017) from the general population. PURPOSE: The purpose of our research was to compare the frequency and etiology of metastatic brain cancer in the military and veteran population in our database relative to the general population. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of diagnoses retrieved from the Electronic Medical Record dated January 1, 2016 to July 1, 2019 capturing visits to the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center with specific ICD 10 brain cancer codes for nonhematologic malignancies originating outside of the CNS. RESULTS: Data from 63 individuals that met criteria for the study was analyzed. The military group was predominantly male (92.1%), white (66.7%) and non-Hispanic (90.5%). In our current sample (N=63) 74.6% had metastatic lung cancer with a histology subset of 24.5% having adenocarcinoma. Compared to the SEER general population our sample was more likely to have metastatic lung cancer with a similar frequency in the histologic subset adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: In this exploratory study using retrospective data, trends were found for lung cancer diagnosis with brain metastatic disease, appearing more common in the military sample from a single-center relative to previously published estimates in the general population. Rates were similar for adenocarcinoma. More research into the higher frequency of lung cancer in the military population compared to the general population should be further explored.