Brain metastases are commonly treated with surgery plus whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT), but WBRT carries a substantial risk of neurocognitive decline. A study published in Cancer has shown that use of carmustine wafers, in conjunction with neurosurgical resection, enables preservation of neurocognitive function while achieving similar rates of local tumour control to those seen with surgery plus WBRT. The findings suggest that carmustine wafers are a viable treatment option for brain metastases.