Clinical uses of radiosurgery.
Radiosurgery uses stereotactic targeting methods to precisely deliver highly focused, large doses of radiation to small intracranial tumors and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). This article reviews the most common clinical applications of radiosurgery and the clinical results reported from a number of series using either a cobalt-60 gamma knife or linear accelerator as radiation sources. Radiosurgery is used to treat malignant tumors, such as selected cases of brain metastases and malignant gliomas (for which stereotactic radiosurgical boosts are utilized in conjunction with fractionated radiation therapy), as well as benign tumors, such as meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, and pituitary adenomas. Treatment of small AVMs is also highly effective. Although radiosurgery has the potential to produce complications, the majority of patients experience clinical improvement with less morbidity than occurs with surgical resection.
Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
S D
SD
Chang
J R
JR
Adler
S L
SL
Hancock
D001165:Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000601:surgery*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques