Which primary malignancy accounts for the largest number of brain metastases in adult men?

• A Lung carcinoma ✓
• B Renal cell carcinoma
• C Melanoma
• D Prostate adenocarcinoma

Explanation

By absolute numbers, lung carcinoma contributes the greatest volume of brain metastases because it is both common and strongly metastatic to the brain; breast cancer leads in women. Melanoma has the highest propensity per case to metastasise to brain, which makes it the tempting distractor, but it is far less frequent overall. Renal cell carcinoma also spreads to brain less often than lung in absolute terms, and prostate cancer almost never produces intraparenchymal brain metastases despite frequent bone spread.

Reference: Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.