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Linac radiosurgery as a tool in neurosurgery.
1Department of Neurosurgery, Klagenfurt General Hospital, Austria. r.deinsberger@kh-st-poelten.at
Neurosurgical Review
|February 24, 2005
Summary
Linear accelerator (LINAC) radiosurgery effectively treats brain metastases and skull base meningiomas, offering high tumor control rates and improved patient quality of life.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Radiation Oncology
- Medical Physics
Background:
- Stereotactic radiosurgery precisely delivers high radiation doses to intracranial targets.
- Linear accelerators (LINACs) have advanced to match gamma unit precision for radiosurgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of LINAC radiosurgery for various intracranial conditions.
- To assess tumor control rates and survival outcomes in patients treated with LINAC radiosurgery.
Main Methods:
- Treated 237 patients using LINAC radiosurgery between January 1996 and August 2003.
- Utilized a combination of University of Florida and Radionics X Knife systems.
- Treated brain metastases, skull base meningiomas, and other neurosurgical conditions.
Main Results:
- Achieved an 89.4% local tumor control rate for 161 brain metastases.
- Observed a 54.9% 1-year survival rate with a median survival of 54 weeks for brain metastases.
- Attained a 97.2% 5-year local tumor control rate for 57 skull base meningiomas.
Conclusions:
- LINAC radiosurgery is a valuable tool in neurosurgery, particularly for brain metastases and skull base meningiomas.
- It facilitates less aggressive, multimodality treatment approaches.
- Offers an alternative to open surgery and serves as an effective adjuvant therapy to enhance tumor control and minimize morbidity.