CyberKnife NeuroRadiosurgery

Book excerpt: This book is a practical guide on image-guided robotic (CyberKnife®) radiosurgery of the brain and the spine. The volume introduces the radiosurgical community to the potential of image-guidance in the treatment of neurosurgical diseases including neuro-oncological, vascular and functional disorders. Principles of image-guided radiosurgery, including physics and radiobiology are considered. Each chapter provides a critical review of the literature and analyses of several aspects to offer an assessment of single and hypofractionated treatments. Based on the authors’ experience, tables or summaries presenting the treatment approaches and associated risks are included as well. Providing a practical guide to define the selection of dose, fractionation schemes, isodose line, margins, imaging, constraints to the structures at risk will support safe practice of neuroradiosurgery. This book aims to shed new light on the treatment of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases of the central nervous system using the CyberKnife® image-guided robotic radiosurgery system. It will be adopted by neurosurgery residents and neurosurgery consultants as well as residents in radiation oncology and radiation oncologists; medical physicists involved in radiosurgery procedures may also benefit from this book.