Technical and Quality Considerations for Stereotactic Radiation Treatment Techniques

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), collectively termed SRS-SBRT, are advanced treatment modalities delivering high doses of radiation in a single treatment or condensed treatment phase. Due to the small margins and steep dose gradient used in SRS-SBRT, the technical and safety considerations are more stringent than traditional radiation therapy and may include more advanced simulation, patient immobilization, treatment planning, and treatment delivery techniques. Respiratory motion management and intrafraction motion monitoring are often used during SRS-SBRT to ensure treatments are robust to both internal organ motion and patient movement during treatment. To ensure optimal treatment quality, SRS-SBRT programs should use multidisciplinary coordination of care to ensure patient-specific treatment strategies are used for optimal patient outcomes. Quality and safety considerations are presented, including peer review and external validation, for optimizing quality and adhering to national guidelines for stereotactic techniques.