title: Stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy cost-effectiveness results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and synthesize the current stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) cost-effectiveness research to date across several common SRS and SBRT applications.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review was limited to comparative economic evaluations of SRS, SBRT, and alternative treatments (e.g., other radiotherapy techniques or surgery). Based on PubMed searches using the terms, "stereotactic," "SRS," "stereotactic radiotherapy," "stereotactic body radiotherapy," "SBRT," "stereotactic ablative radiotherapy," "economic evaluation," "quality adjusted life year (QALY)," "cost," "cost-effectiveness," "cost-utility," and "cost analysis," published studies of cost-effectiveness and health economics were obtained. Included were articles in peer-reviewed journals that presented a comparison of costs between treatment alternatives from January 1997 to November 2012. Papers were excluded if they did not present cost calculations, therapeutic cost comparisons, or health economic endpoints.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical outcomes and costs of SRS and SBRT were compared to other therapies for treatment of cancer in the brain, spine, lung, prostate, and pancreas. Treatment outcomes for SRS and SBRT are usually superior or comparable, and cost-effective, relative to alternative techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the review of current SRS and SBRT clinical and health economic literature, from a patient perspective, SRS and SBRT provide patients a clinically effective treatment option, while from the payer and provider perspective, SRS and SBRT demonstrate cost savings.
authors.affiliation: Accuray Incorporated Sunnyvale, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Akash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bijlani
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aguzzi
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Schaal
authors.forename: Pantaleo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romanelli
keywords: cancer; cost-effectiveness; health economics; stereotactic body radiation therapy; stereotactic body radiotherapy; stereotactic radiosurgery