title: Salvage stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases.
abstract: Recurrent or progressive brain metastases after initial treatment represent a common clinical entity mainly due to increased survival of cancer patients. From the various available treatment modalities, salvage stereotactic radiosurgery seems to be the most commonly used. Many clinical studies of class of evidence III have demonstrated satisfied results concerning the local brain control and survival of patients with relapsing brain disease. Also stereotactic radiosurgery is considered a relatively safe modality with low incidence of brain toxicity side effects. It is obvious that well-designed, randomized, prospective studies are necessary for the evaluation of the stereotactic radiosurgery as salvage treatment and for the establishment of guidelines for the selection of patients most suitable for this treatment option. The increasing number of patients with relapsing brain metastatic disease will act as a pressure to this direction.
authors.affiliation: Department of surgery, University of Toronto, Clinical Fellow in Neuroncology and Skull Base Neurosurgery, 339 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON M5T2S8, Canada.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klironomos
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods