- Patients with symptomatic uncontrolled brain metastases; a scan to confirm the absence of brain metastases is not required; the patient can receive a stable dose of corticosteroids before and during the study if these were started at least 4 weeks prior to treatment; patients with spinal cord compression unless considered to have received definitive treatment for this and evidence of clinically stable disease for 28 days; patients with known uncontrolled brain metastases should be excluded from this clinical trial