Hypo-fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy of five fractions with linear accelerator for vestibular schwannomas: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are benign tumors stemming from the eighth cranial nerve. Treatment options for VS include conservative management, microsurgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, and fractionated radiotherapy. Though microsurgery has been the standard of care for larger lesions, hypo-fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (hypo-FSRT) is an emerging modality. However, its clinical efficacy and safety have yet to be established. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of manuscripts indexed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane databases reporting outcomes of VS cases treated with hypo-FSRT. Five studies representing a total of 228 patients were identified. Across studies, the pooled rates of tumor control, hearing, facial nerve, and trigeminal nerve preservation were 95%, 37%, 97%, and 98%. No instances of malignant induction were observed at median follow-up of 34.8 months. Complications included trigeminal neuropathy (n = 3), maxillary paresthesia (n = 1), neuralgia (n = 1), vestibular dysfunction (n = 1), radionecrosis (n = 1), and hydrocephalus (n = 1). Hypo-FSRT may be another useful approach to manage VS, but studies with extended follow-up times are required to establish long-term safety.