RESUMO
PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of CyberKnife stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) for recurrent glial tumors previously treated with high-dose radiotherapy. METHODS: CyberKnife SRT was performed in 37 patients with recurrent glial tumors who presented to our hospital between January 2007 and March 2012. The patients were subjected to a dose ranging from 20 to 28 Gy using the CyberKnife system with an average of two fractions. The median follow-up duration after SRT was 14 months (range 1.8-57). RESULTS: The median survival time of the patients after recurrence was 22.3 months (95% confidence interval/95% Cl 12.5-32). The median survival times of the high- and low-grade patients were 29 and 19 months, respectively. No significant toxicity due to radiation was noticed during the follow-up period. No factor influencing mortality was found in either the univariate or multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: SRT using CyberKnife is an effective and safe treatment choice for recurrent glial tumors. SRT achieves a more favorable outcome in the treatment of recurrent tumors, particularly in high-grade ones.
