Irradiation of spinal metastases: should we continue to include one uninvolved vertebral body above and below in the radiation field?

Purpose: Historically, the appropriate target volume to be irradiated for spinal metastases is 1-2 vertebral bodies above and below the level of involvement for three reasons: (1) to avoid missing the correct level in the absence of simulation or (2) to account for the possibility of spread of disease to the adjacent level, and (3) to account for beam penumbra. In this study, we hypothesized that isolated failures occurring in the level adjacent to level treated with stereotactic body radiosurgery (SBRS) were infrequent and that with improved localization techniques with image-guided radiation therapy, treatment of only the involved level of spinal metastases may be more appropriate.

Methods And Materials: Patients who had received SBRS treatments to only the involved level of the spine as part of a prospective trial for spinal metastases comprised the study population.

Gamma knife radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma: early hearing outcomes and evaluation of the cochlear dose.

Objective: To evaluate the hearing outcomes for a group of unilateral vestibular schwannoma patients treated with gamma knife radiosurgery and to determine if the cochlear radiation dose affects hearing outcome measures.

Study Design: Retrospective case review.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Malignant parotid tumors: presentation, clinical/pathologic prognostic factors, and treatment outcomes.

Purpose: To determine the important clinical/pathologic prognostic factors and optimal treatment of malignant parotid tumors.

Methods And Materials: This study was a retrospective chart review of 163 patients treated for malignant parotid tumors at two institutions. Of the 163 patients, 91 were treated with surgical resection and radiotherapy (RT), 56 were treated with surgery alone, and 13 were treated with RT alone.