Assessing the long-term safety and efficacy of gamma knife and linear accelerator radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

TitleAssessing the long-term safety and efficacy of gamma knife and linear accelerator radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsGuadix SW, Tao AJ, An A, Demetres M, Tosi U, Chidambaram S, Knisely JPS, Ramakrishna R, Pannullo SC
JournalNeurooncol Pract
Volume8
Issue6
Pagination639-651
Date Published2021 Dec
ISSN2054-2577
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Differences in long-term outcomes of single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) between gamma knife (GK) and linear accelerator (LINAC) systems for vestibular schwannoma (VS) management remain unclear. To investigate differences in safety and efficacy between modalities, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies over the past decade.

METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were queried for studies with the following inclusion criteria: English language, published between January 2010 and April 2020, cohort size ≥30, and mean/median follow-up ≥5 years. Odds ratios (OR) compared rates of tumor control, hearing preservation, and cranial nerve toxicities before and after SRS.

RESULTS: Thirty-nine studies were included (29 GK, 10 LINAC) with 6516 total patients. Tumor control rates were 93% (95% CI 91-94%) and 94% (95% CI 91-97%) for GK and LINAC, respectively. Both GK (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.02-0.13) and LINAC (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.29-0.76) reduced odds of serviceable hearing. Neither GK (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.41-1.22) nor LINAC (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.64-2.00) impacted facial nerve function. GK decreased odds of trigeminal nerve (TN) impairment (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.32-0.94) while LINAC did not impact TN function (OR 1.45, 95% CI 0.81-2.61). Lastly, LINAC offered decreased odds of tinnitus (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.87) not observed with GK (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.48-1.01).

CONCLUSIONS: VS tumor control and hearing preservation rates are comparable between GK and LINAC SRS. GK may better preserve TN function, while LINAC decreases tinnitus rates. Future studies are warranted to investigate the efficacy of GK and LINAC SRS more directly.

DOI10.1093/nop/npab052
Alternate JournalNeurooncol Pract
PubMed ID34777833
PubMed Central IDPMC8579095