Role of radiosurgery in the management of central nervous system metastases

Radiosurgery is being used more routinely to treat patients with inoperable , recurrent, or multiple brain metastases from systemic cancer. Results in > 2000 treated patients have been published during the past 8 years. These results indicate that permanent local control can be obtained in > 80% of t reated lesions with complications in < 10% of patients. Success is independ ent of the histology, ie, melanoma vs adenocarcinoma, of the treated lesion or number of lesions treated. The long-term results of radiosurgery compar e favorably with those seen following surgical resection. The cost-effectiv eness of radiosurgery compared to surgical resection favors an expanded rol e for this technology in the treatment of selected patients with brain meta stases.