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Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Spinal Tumors

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Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

Abstract

Bony metastases frequently involve the spine and can cause significant morbidity with pain and neurologic compromise. A shift toward hypofractionated radiotherapy delivered over 1 to 5 fractions has taken place to provide increased long-term local control and pain relief. Patients with radioresistant histologies and oligometastatic disease, and/or patients who have had previous radiotherapy to the region, should be considered for spine stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Evaluation at presentation should include an assessment of spine stability and the extent of epidural disease. Potentially unstable or frankly unstable metastases and high-grade epidural disease should have a spine surgical consult prior to SBRT. If surgery is needed, SBRT can be delivered in the postoperative setting. Spine SBRT is performed with the patient immobilized in a near-rigid body immobilization device, simulation with thin-slice CT and volumetric thin-slice axial T1 and T2 MR images for subsequent image fusion, and delivery with an image-guided linac delivery apparatus. Guidelines for patient selection and contouring are well described, and OAR constraints from both evidence-based toxicity analyses and multicenter randomized controlled trials are available. Patients need to be followed up closely with spine MRI for tumor progression, pseudoprogression, and side effects of radiotherapy which can include vertebral compression fracture.

Disclosure: Dr. Arjun Sahgal has received honorarium for past educational seminars from Medtronic, Elekta AB, Accuray Inc., and Varian Medical Systems and research grants from Elekta AB. Dr. Sahgal also belongs to the Elekta MR Linac Research Consortium. Zain Husain has received research funding from Merck.

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Abbreviations

6DOF:

6 Degrees of Freedom

BED:

Biologically Effective Dose

CBCT:

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

cRT:

Conventional External Beam Radiation Therapy

CT:

Computed Tomography

CTV:

Clinical Target Volume

DVH:

Dose-volume Histogram

fx(s):

Fraction(s)

GTV:

Gross Tumor Volume

MESCC:

Malignant Epidural Spinal Cord Compression

mo:

Month

nBED Gy2/2:

2Gy Equivalent Dose

Pmax:

Point Max

PRV:

Planning Organ-at-Risk Volume

PTV:

Planning Target Volume

RCC:

Renal Cell Carcinoma

SBRT:

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy

SINS:

Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score

SRS:

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

VCF:

Vertebral Compression Fracture

yr:

Year

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Correspondence to Arjun Sahgal .

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Faruqi, S. et al. (2019). Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Spinal Tumors. In: Trifiletti, D., Chao, S., Sahgal, A., Sheehan, J. (eds) Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16924-4_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16924-4_23

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