News from Korea: Clinical Results of Cyberknife® Radiosurgery for Spinal Metastases

from the IV MB, by yyy60:

Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
Volume 46, Number 6 (12/2009)

Clinical Results of Cyberknife® Radiosurgery for Spinal Metastases

Ung-Kyu Chang, MD, PhD, Sang Min Youn, MD, Sukh Que Park, MD, PhD and Chang Hun Rhee, MD, PhD

Department of Neurosurgery, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Science, Seoul, Korea


OBJECTIVE : Primary treatment of spinal metastasis has been external beam radiotherapy. Recent advance of technology enables radiosurgery to be extended to extracranial lesions. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical effectiveness and safety of stereotactic radiosurgery using Cyberknife in spinal metastasis.

METHODS : From June, 2002 to December, 2007, 129 patients with 167 spinal metastases were treated with Cyberknife. Most of the patients (94%) presented with pain and nine patients suffered from motor deficits. Twelve patients were asymptomatic. Fifty-three patients (32%) had previous radiation therapy. Using Cyberknife, 16-39 Gy in 1-5 fractions were delivered to spinal metastatic lesions. Radiation dose was not different regarding the tumor pathology or tumor volume.

RESULTS : After six months follow-up, patient evaluation was possible in 108 lesions. Among them, significant pain relief was seen in 98 lesions (91%). Radiological data were obtained in 83 lesions. The mass size was decreased or stable in 75 lesions and increased in eight lesions. Radiological control failure cases were hepatocellular carcinoma (5 cases), lung cancer (1 case), breast cancer (1 case) and renal cell carcinoma (1 case). Treatment-related radiation injury was not detected.

CONCLUSION : Cyberknife radiosurgery is clinically effective and safe for spinal metastases. It is true even in previously irradiated patients. Compared to conventional radiation therapy, Cyberknife shows higher pain control rate and its treatment process is more convenient for patients. Thus, it can be regarded as a primary treatment modality for spinal metastases.