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What is Stereotactic Radiation Therapy?
Stereotactic radiation therapy is a very precise type of radiation treatment delivery, usually requiring the use of an external frame of reference such as a head frame for intracranial diseases. This method permits accurate delivery of high doses in a few fractions to a small, conformed volume.
Role in Treating Cancer
This approach is commonly used in the management of cancers within the head and increasingly in other locations in the body such as lung, and liver. It can offer an alternative to surgery where there may be a significant likelihood of morbidity with surgery. Stereotactic radiation is also useful in increasing tumour control rates for selected patients with metastases.
Indications
Intracranial disease
- acoustic neuromas
- meningiomas
- chordomas of clivus
- chondrosarcomas of the skull base
- brain metastases
- pituitary adenomas
- craniopharyngiomas
- pilocytic astrocytomas
- choroidal melanomas of eye
- retinoblastomas
Extracranial disease
Benefits
In addition to the ability to precisely deliver high-dose radiation to tumour, this type of radiation significantly spares normal tissues so that the likelihood of acute or long-term effects is significantly reduced.
This page was last updated June 22nd, 2010 at 3:59pm.