Image-Guided Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery: A Practical Approach to Guide Treatment of Brain and Spine Tumors

Following recent developments in hypofractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) for brain and spine tumors, this new edition offers a fully updated and comprehensive "how-to" guidance on hypofractionated SRT for brain and spine metastases, glioma, benign tumors, and other tumor types. Presenting the state of the art of the technology and practice, this book:

• Discusses the pros and cons of hypofractionated SRT compared to single-fraction radiosurgery, providing a deeper understanding of radiosurgery and radiobiology
• Explains the toxicity and adverse effects of hypofractionated SRT including the dosage of 24 Gy in two spine SBRT fractionation schemes, aiding practitioners in communicating the risks and benefits of treatment and in obtaining consent from their patients
• Outlines the current standards for safe practice, including checklists for implementation
• Explores new technologies for brain and spine tumors including LITT, MR-guided focused ultrasound, and Zap technology, with chapters authored by well-recognized experts in the radiation, oncology, and neurosurgery communities; this book delivers a level of technological and clinical detail not available in journal papers

This book is suitable for radiation oncologists, neurosurgeons, and medical physicists who specialize in brain and/or spine radiosurgery or want to start a program and need a comprehensive reference with key checklists for practice.

Arjun Sahgal, MD (chief editor), is a leader in the field of high-precision stereotactic radiation to the brain and spine. After training at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in radiation oncology, he completed a fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, in brain and spine radiosurgery with Dr. David Larson. Since then he has been recognized as a national and international clinical expert and research leader in radiosurgery. His main focus is on developing spine stereotactic body radiotherapy as an effective therapy for patients with spinal tumors. He has published numerous book chapters on the subject and more than 200 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals, including Journal of Clinical Oncology and The Lancet Oncology. He has edited or written several books specific to research on brain and bone metastases and is an editorial board member for several journals. He was chairman of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society meeting (June 2013) and was a board member for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada and the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society. He has been invited to speak at several international meetings, has been a visiting professor at various universities, and leads several research groups. His further research activities involve integrating MRI into radiotherapy delivery, combining novel pharmacologic therapies with radiosurgery, and MRI-guided focused ultrasound.