Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. It is also the second most frequent source of brain metastases (BMs), contributing to 5-20% of cases. Despite this, routine brain imaging for screening is not recommended and is only conducted when clinical symptoms or physical findings suggest metastasis. This study aims to identify clinical predictors associated with overall survival (OS) and the timing of BM development in breast cancer patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of medical records for 113 patients diagnosed with BMs secondary to breast cancer at our institution between 2000 and 2020. Baseline demographic data and clinical characteristics related to BMs were collected. To identify factors associated with OS and time to BM development after breast cancer diagnosis, we conducted univariate analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves, bivariate analysis with the log-rank test, and multivariate analysis via the Cox Proportional Hazard model. RESULTS: An early diagnosis of BMs was identified as a