Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37155133›Full record

ReviewJournal of neuro-oncology2023

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for spine metastases: a review of 24 Gy in 2 daily fractions.

Eric K Nguyen, Mark Ruschin, Beibei Zhang, Hany Soliman, Sten Myrehaug, Jay Detsky, Hanbo Chen, Arjun Sahgal, Chia-Lin Tseng

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of neuro-oncology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Cancer Pain: Radiotherapy as a Double-Edged Sword.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Eric K NguyenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada.
Mark RuschinDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada.
Beibei ZhangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada.
Hany SolimanDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada.
Sten MyrehaugDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada.
Jay DetskyDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada.
Hanbo ChenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada.
Arjun SahgalDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada.
Chia-Lin TsengDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada. chia-lin.tseng@sunnybrook.ca.
Sunnybrook Health Science Centre · CAHealth Sciences Centre · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeStereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has proven to be a highly effective treatment for selected patients with spinal metastases. Randomized evidence shows improvements in complete pain response rates and local control with lower retreatment rates favoring SBRT, compared to conventional external beam radiotherapy (cEBRT). While there are several reported dose-fractionation schemes for spine SBRT, 24 Gy in 2 fractions has emerged with Level 1 evidence providing an excellent balance between minimizing treatment toxicity while respecting patient convenience and financial strain.

methodsWe provide an overview of the 24 Gy in 2 SBRT fraction regimen for spine metastases, which was developed at the University of Toronto and tested in an international Phase 2/3 randomized controlled trial.

resultsThe literature summarizing global experience with 24 Gy in 2 SBRT fractions suggests 1-year local control rates ranging from 83-93.9%, and 1-year rates of vertebral compression fracture ranging from 5.4-22%. Reirradiation of spine metastases that failed prior cEBRT is also feasible with 24 Gy in 2 fractions, and 1-year local control rates range from 72-86%. Post-operative spine SBRT data are limited but do support the use of 24 Gy in 2 fractions with reported 1-year local control rates ranging from 70-84%. Typically, the rates of plexopathy, radiculopathy and myositis are under 5% in those series reporting mature follow up, with no cases of radiation myelopathy (RM) reported in the de novo setting when the spinal cord avoidance structure is limited to 17 Gy in 2 fractions. However, re-irradiation RM has been observed following 2 fraction SBRT. More recently, 2-fraction dose escalation with 28 Gy, with a higher dose constraint to the critical neural tissues, has been reported suggesting improved rates of local control. This regimen may be important in those patients with radioresistant histologies, high grade epidural disease, and/or paraspinal disease.

conclusionThe dose-fractionation of 24 Gy in 2 fractions is well-supported by published literature and is an ideal starting point for centers looking to establish a spine SBRT program.

Indexed as

Fractures, CompressionRadiosurgerySpinal FracturesSpinal NeoplasmsHumansSpineTreatment OutcomeMetastasesRadiotherapySBRTSpine

Identifiers

PMID37155133
OpenAlexW4375861177

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.