Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39981481›Full record

ArticleCureus2025

Conformal Partial Brain Irradiation Versus Stereotactic Radiation Therapy in the Management of Resected Brain Metastases: A Retrospective Study.

Sophia N Shah, Sohan S Shah, Gaurav Shukla, Sunjay A Shah

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2025. 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
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

  1. Article
  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

4 authors.

Sophia N ShahRadiation Oncology, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, USA.
Sohan S ShahRadiation Oncology, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, USA.
Gaurav ShuklaRadiation Oncology, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, USA.
Sunjay A ShahRadiation Oncology, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe standard of care after resection of a single brain metastasis is to treat the cavity with stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) to minimize the risk of recurrence. However, a prospective randomized trial of SRT demonstrated higher than expected rates of local recurrence, possibly due to geographic miss. Conformal partial brain (CPB) irradiation using conventional fractionation is an alternate technique that allows a larger margin of healthy tissue to be safely irradiated, potentially decreasing the risk of tumor recurrence. We performed a retrospective chart review to compare the results between CPB and SRT treatments. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients receiving postoperative cranial radiotherapy within two months of a brain metastasis resection from 2015 to 2022 were eligible for this retrospective single-institution analysis. Fifty-seven patients met the eligibility criteria (SRT: n=32; CPB: n=25). SRT patients were treated using a robotic linear accelerator with a median dose of 24 Gy in 3 fractions. The median prescribed dose for the CPB group was 33 Gy in 11 fractions.

resultsThe mean follow-up was 19.9 months. The crude rate of local recurrence rate was 21.9% (SRT) versus 0% (CPB) (p<0.013). The crude rate of radiation necrosis (RN) was 21.9% (SRT) versus 0% (CPB) (p<0.013). The mean cavity volume was 13 cc (SRT) versus 73 cc (CPB) (p<0.001). Most cases of RN were asymptomatic, although one patient suffered grade 4 status epilepticus.

conclusionIn this single-institution cohort, CPB radiation therapy was statistically associated with a lower risk of both local failure and radiation necrosis as compared to SRT. Despite the cavity being much larger, none of the CPB patients suffered either local failure or radiation necrosis. Postoperative CPB irradiation may be beneficial for large cavity sizes or when it is difficult to delineate the tumor bed.

Indexed as

3d-conformal radiation therapyleptomeningeal enhancementstereotactic radiotherapy (srt)treatment of brain metastaseswhole-brain radiotherapy

Identifiers

PMID39981481
PMCPMC11841999

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