Postoperative Radiation Therapy of Intracranial Tumors

Conventionally, radiation therapy (RT) has involved the delivery of large total doses of radiation, broken up, and given in many small daily dose "fractions". Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) represents a departure from the paradigms of conventional RT. In SRS, the entire course of radiation therapy is condensed into a single treatment session. In today's world, most veterinary radiation oncologists would consider a standard (or conventional) course of definitive-intent RT to deliver a total dose of 40-54 Gy in 10-20 daily fractions. In veterinary neuro-oncology, SRS, and Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) have been associated with clinical outcomes that are broadly similar to those reported for conventional full-course definitive-intent RT. Such is the case when SRS and SRT are applied as treatments for canine intracranial meningiomas; treatment is generally well-tolerated, and the median overall survival times are 18-24 months. Similarly, postoperative SRS is infrequently used in human neuro-oncology.