The radiobiology of radiosurgery

Abstract

Radiosurgery is the precise and complete destruction of a chosen target containing healthy or pathological cells, without significant concomitant or late radiation damage to adjacent cells. This article discusses briefly the many uses of radiobiology and considers variables in the treatment, such as dose rate, dose homogeneity, and the issue of possible pharmacological radioprotection for radiosurgery. Comparisons between radiosurgery and fractionation are also made.