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Acoustic Neuromas and Other Benign Tumors: Fractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy Perspective

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Principles and Practice of Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Abstract

Radiosurgery has become an important treatment alternative to surgery for a variety of intracranial lesions. As currently practiced, it has in fact replaced surgery as a standard of care in some instances, complements surgery as a postoperative adjunct in others, and most commonly represents an alternative to surgery or the only treatment option. Radiosurgery techniques have evolved quickly with the development of new technologies enabling more complex yet more efficient treatment plans. As a consequence, these technologies have broadened radiosurgery applications and improved radiosurgery outcomes. Among these newer techniques, treatments involving fractionated stereotactic radiation referred to as fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, or FSR, have emerged as a consequence of linear accelerators designed for and dedicated to stereotactic techniques. Without the logistical constraints of retrofitted general-purpose linear accelerators used in radiation oncology, often available only once or twice a week, dedicated units have enabled the design of treatment paradigms that strive for an ideal treatment based on the radiobiology of the target and dose-limiting contiguous tissues. This chapter will summarize our 12-year experience with the Varian 600SR, initially with the Radionics software more recently modified to a Novalis shapedbeam radiosurgery unit, and our practice of FSR for a variety of intracranial lesions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neuro-Oncologic Neurosurgery & Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    David W. Andrews MD (Professor and Vice Chairman, Chief)

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Greg Bednarz PhD (Medical Physicist)

  3. Stereotactic Radiosurgery Units, Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Beverly Downes MS (Chief Medical Physicist)

  4. Department of Radiation Oncology, Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Maria Werner-Wasik MD (Associate Professor)

Authors
  1. David W. Andrews MD
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  2. Greg Bednarz PhD
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  3. Beverly Downes MS
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  4. Maria Werner-Wasik MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Lawrence S. Chin MD (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD, USA

    William F. Regine MD (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

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Andrews, D.W., Bednarz, G., Downes, B., Werner-Wasik, M. (2008). Acoustic Neuromas and Other Benign Tumors: Fractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy Perspective. In: Chin, L.S., Regine, W.F. (eds) Principles and Practice of Stereotactic Radiosurgery. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71070-9_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71070-9_25

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-71069-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-71070-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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