Tissue effects after stereotactic body radiotherapy using cyberknife for patients with abdominal malignancies.
OBJECTIVE
To report the tissue effects of treatment with single fraction stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) using Cyberknife on malignant tumours of the abdomen and adjacent normal organs.


METHODS
The data from four autopsies with unresectable pancreatic carcinoma and one lymph node excision from a case of recurrent neuroblastoma were reviewed for radiation-related tissue effects within the primary cancer and the normal organs within the radiation field.


RESULTS
Cases of unresectable pancreatic carcinoma consistently showed radiation-induced changes in both the primary tumour and the adjacent, non-malignant colorectal tissue. An additional case of lymph nodes exposed to stereotactic radiation showed typical radiation-related changes, including lymphocyte depletion and capsular fibrosis.


CONCLUSIONS
A myriad of radiation-related tissue effects are seen after SBRT with Cyberknife. The changes parallel those reported after conventionally fractionated radiotherapy and suggest that the pathophysiological mechanisms of radiation-induced normal tissue damage are similar for biologically equivalent single and fractionated doses of radiotherapy.
Cupp
J S
JS
Department of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA.
Koong
A C
AC
Fisher
G A
GA
Norton
J A
JA
Goodman
K A
KA
D000005:Abdomen; D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003106:Colon / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012007:Rectum / Q000528:radiation effects