Stereotactic radiosurgery

Overview Stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy refer to the precise delivery of radiation to targeted areas, such as brain tumors or AVMs, abnormal tangles of blood vessels. They differ from normal radiation regimes in that very little if any normal tissue is exposed to the radiation. The difference between stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy has to do with the intensity and duration of the radiation treatments. Stereotactic radiosurgery Stereotactic radiosurgery delivers radiation at a very high intensity, all at once, to a small area. It is a way of treating brain disorders with a precise delivery of a single high dose of radiation in a one-day session. Stereotactic radiotherapy Stereotactic radiotherapy delivers radiation at different times, at lower intensities and to larger areas. One benefit of this technology is its ability to easily treat very large tumor volumes by treating over time during cell division. Different technologies There are three different technologies that are used for stereotactic radiosurgery or stereotactic radiotherapy: • Cobalt60 based (photon) – gamma knife surgery • Linear accelerator-based (photon) has the ability to perform radiosurgery on larger tumors by delivering treatments over several days, which is referred to as radiotherapy. This flexibility is not available with other machines. The linear accelerator uses one large, intense radiation beam that is redirected in many arcs to lessen the effect on healthy tiss...

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) gives radiotherapy from many different angles around the body. The beams meet at the tumour. This means the tumour receives a high dose of radiation and the tissues around it receive a much lower dose. This lowers the risk of side effects. Usually you have between 1 and 8 treatments. You might hear a few different terms for stereotactic radiotherapy, which can be confusing. Stereotactic treatment for the body might be called stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). Stereotactic radiotherapy to the brain might be called stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). This is usually a single treatment. If you have more than one treatment to the brain, this is usually called stereotactic treatment. When you might have stereotactic radiotherapy This type of radiotherapy is mainly used to treat very small cancers, including: • cancer in the lung • cancer that started in the liver or cancer that has spread to the liver • cancers in the lymph nodes • spinal cord tumours • cancer spread in the brain Stereotactic radiotherapy can also treat areas of the body that have been treated with radiotherapy before. For example, if someone has already had radiotherapy to their pelvis they usually wouldn't be able to have radiotherapy to the same area again. But because stereotactic treatment is so precise it can often mean re-treatment is possible. Research is being carried out to see what other canc...

Reviewed by Danielle Ellis, B.Sc. Jun 8 2023 Cancer that spreads to the brain from another part of the body such as lung or breast is called a metastatic brain tumor. As metastatic brain tumors grow, they can cause symptoms such as headaches, seizures and weakness or balance issues. In some patients, surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) can help alleviate these symptoms in patients who have a limited number of tumors. Despite what its name implies, SRS isn't actually a surgery but instead involves highly focused radiation that targets tumors while minimizing the effects on surrounding healthy tissue. The treatment is often used after a patient undergoes surgery to remove brain tumors in a process called postoperative SRS. However, SRS can also be given before surgery, which is called preoperative SRS. In a new study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, researchers highlight improved outcomes for patients treated with preoperative SRS, particularly in rates of tumor recurrence, adverse radiation effects and spread of tumor cells to the fluid outside of the brain, which is called meningeal disease. The study findings appear online today in JAMA Oncology. "Postoperative SRS is currently the standard of care in these patients, but there is a growing body of research that shows preoperative SRS has advantages," said Roshan Prabhu, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, in Charlotte, Nort...

Learn more At Memorial Sloan Kettering, doctors who specialize in SBRT is performed while you are lying on a table. Imaging technology on the linear accelerator helps ensure you are in the same position for every session and that the target area does not shift during treatment. You will be awake during the procedure, which usually takes between 30 minutes and an hour. Back to top 4. Why choose Memorial Sloan Kettering for SBRT? We have developed superior ways to use advanced imaging techniques that enable us to target tumors with extreme precision, leading to more effective treatment of your cancer while minimizing damage. In addition, patients at MSK are cared for by a multidisciplinary team of experts — which includes radiation oncologists, medical physicists, oncologists, and surgeons — that is among the most experienced in the world.

Key Points Question Does radiosurgery improve pain response compared with conventional external beam radiation therapy? Findings In this phase 3 randomized clinical trial of 339 patients, the primary end point of pain response at 3 months was not improved in the spine radiosurgery group. There were no spinal cord complications at 2-year follow-up after spine radiosurgery. Meaning Radiosurgery was not found to be superior to in terms of pain response at 3 months and, in fact, worse pain response was observed compared with conventional external beam radiation therapy. Abstract Importance Spine metastasis can be treated with high-dose radiation therapy with advanced delivery technology for long-term tumor and pain control. Objective To assess whether patient-reported pain relief was improved with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) as compared with conventional external beam radiotherapy (cEBRT) for patients with 1 to 3 sites of vertebral metastases. Design, Setting, and Participants In this randomized clinical trial, patients with 1 to 3 vertebral metastases were randomized 2:1 to the SRS or cEBRT groups. This NRG 0631 phase 3 study was performed as multi-institutional enrollment within NRG Oncology. Eligibility criteria included the following: (1) solitary vertebral metastasis, (2) 2 contiguous vertebral levels involved, or (3) maximum of 3 separate sites. Each site may involve up to 2 contiguous vertebral bodies. A total of 353 patients enrolled in the trial, and 339 patients ...

What is stereotactic radiosurgery? Stereotactic radiosurgery is a very precise form of therapeutic radiation that can be used to treat abnormalities in the brain and spine, including cancer, epilepsy, trigeminal neuralgia and arteriovenous malformations. Stereotactic radiosurgery does not involve an incision or opening; it carefully aims beams of X-rays at abnormal tissues through the skin from multiple directions. Radiosurgery works in the same manner as other types of therapeutic radiology: The X-ray beams distort or destroy the DNA of cells in abnormal areas so they are unable to reproduce and grow. With optimal treatment, the abnormal tissue becomes inactive and gradually shrinks. Lesions in the spine or other locations can be treated with a mechanized arm that moves around the patient during treatment. Reasons for Choosing Stereotactic Radiosurgery The surgical precision of the technique is particularly useful in treating small or difficult to reach abnormalities in the brain and spine. The targeted focus of the radiation in radiosurgery techniques results in less damage to healthy surrounding tissues and less risk of infection, making it safer for those who have just had surgery. Possible Side Effects Stereotactic radiosurgery causes fewer and milder side effects than conventional radiotherapies, which cover a wider area and can affect healthy tissue. The following side effects are typically temporary and get better within a few weeks. • fatigue • skin irritation at ...