Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Metastatic Spine Disease-A Systemic Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in managing spinal metastasis. Traditionally, surgery was the primary approach, but SRS has emerged as a promising alternative.

OBJECTIVE

The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery in the management of spinal metastasis in terms of local tumor control, patient survival, and quality of life, identifying both advantages and limitations of SRS.

METHODS

Through an extensive literature search in PubMed with cross-referencing, relevant full-text-available papers published between 2012 and 2022 in English or German were included. The search string used was "metastatic spine diseases AND SRS OR stereotactic radiosurgery".

RESULTS

There is growing evidence of SRS as a precise and effective treatment. SRS delivers high radiation doses while minimizing exposure to critical neural structures, offering benefits like pain relief, limited tumor growth, and a low complication rate, even for tumors resistant to traditional radiation therapies. SRS can be a primary treatment for certain metastatic cases, particularly those without spinal cord compression.

CONCLUSIONS

SRS appears to be a preferable option for oligometastasis and radioresistant lesions, assuming there are no contraindications. Further research is necessary to refine treatment protocols, determine optimal radiation dose and fractionation schemes, and assess the long-term effects of SRS on neural structures.