Radiothérapie stéréotaxique des métastases cérébrales

Traditionally, whole brain radiation therapy has been the accepted standard treatment for most patients with brain metastases and has contributed to reduce neurological symptoms. However, local control is still low (50%).The recent introduction of stereotactic radiotherapy has changed the treatment paradigm and improved the outcome of metatastic brain tumors with a better local control by increasing the dose of radiation therapy in limited metastases without increasing the dose to the neighbouring organs. There are 2 types of stereotactic radiation therapy: radiosurgey with only one fraction of delivered radiation and hypofractionnated stereotactic radiation therapy with a low number of fractions. These techniques enable an increase in the local control of up to approximately 85%.