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[Radiation sensitivity testing and late neurological complications following radiosurgery for AVM: the use of SF2
S Malone1, J Szanto, G Alsbeith
1Département de radio-oncologie, centre de cancérologie d'Ottawa, 503 Smyth, Ottawa, K1H 1C4, Ontario, Canada. smalone@orcc.on.ca
Purpose:
To identify SF2 as a prognostic factor of late complications from radiosurgery in patients treated for AVM.
Patients And Methods:
Five patients with AVM treated in three canadian institutions and who suffered clinically significant neurological sequelaes secondary to radiosurgery were identified. Their fibroblasts were cultured and their radiation sensitivity tested to determine the SF2 for each patient.
Results:
Patients who developed a neurological complication from radionecrosis, secondary to radiosurgery had an SF2 different than the two control patients with AVM and no complications and also from a group of five cancer patients without late radiation complications (P = 0.005).
Conclusion:
Radiosurgery is an elective procedure. The identification of a subgroup of patients who are radiosensitive and at a higher risk of radiation induced complications can allow the treatment team to reduce the risk of such complications. SF2 as a new predictive factor should be incorporated in predictive models of risk from treatment of AVM by radiosurgery. This work needs to be confirmed in a larger cohort of patients.
