Radiation therapy developer Varian Medical Systems is highlighting results from a multi-institutional phase II clinical trial indicating that image-guided stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) can be an effective and feasible approach for treating up to three spinal metastases.
The study was presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in Miami Beach, FL.
Principle study investigator Dr. Samuel Ryu of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and colleagues enrolled 46 patients treated at 16 institutions between August 2009 and March 2011. Each patient received a single SRS treatment of 16 Gy after their treatment plans were reviewed to ensure they met previously agreed-upon standards for quality of tumor coverage and compliance with normal tissue dose constraints and delivery of image-guided radiosurgery, Ryu said.
Results showed that the treatment plans were optimal and acceptable in 100% of the patients. Spinal cord dose constraints were optimal for all patients (i.e., less than 10% of the spinal cord received 10 Gy). Image-guidance treatment compliance was optimal in 20 patients (91%) and acceptable in two (9%) with preset parameters calling for less than 2 to 3 mm of difference between the target position at the time of treatment planning and the target position at the end of treatment, according to Ryu.
