In a recent article published in the July issue of Neurosurgery, led by an NYU Langone Medical Center neurosurgeon, found that many key clinical trials in the past were designed with out-of-date assumption and the tendency of some physicians to “lump together” brain metastases of diverse kinds of cancer, often resulting in less than optimal care for patients. The authors of the study, who say that medical insurers help to perpetuate the myths by denying coverage that deviates from them, have identified five leading misconceptions that often lead to poorer care. The five myths state: all tumor-cell types act the same way once they spread to the brain; the number of brain metastases is the best indicator for guiding management of the disease; all cancers detectable in the brain already reflect the presence of micrometastases; whole-brain radiation is generally unjustified; most brain metastases cause obvious symptoms. To read more about this study, click here.