Current status and optimal use of radiosurgery

Abstract

The field of stereotactic radiosurgery is rapidly advancing as a result of both improvements in radiosurgical equipment and better physician understanding of the clinical applications of stereotactic radiosurgery. This article will review recent developments in the field of radiosurgery, including advances in our understanding of the treatment of brain metastases and arteriovenous malformations, as well as the use of stereotactic radiosurgery as a boost following conventional radiation for nasopharyngeal carcinoma to minimize the rate of local recurrence. In addition, improved understanding of the radiobiology of normal neurologic structures adjacent to tumors undergoing radiosurgery has led to the use of fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of acoustic neuromas and tumors bordering the anterior visual pathways. Finally, a breakthrough in radiosurgery involving the development and use of frameless, image-guided stereotactic radiosurgery has allowed for both dose homogeneity and treatment of intracranial lesions based on nonisocentric treatment algorithms that result in improved target conformality. This same frameless radiosurgical system has also expanded the scope of radiosurgery to include the treatment of extracranial lesions throughout the body.