SynthesisRadiation oncology (London, England)2026
Salvage stereotactic radiotherapy for locally recurrent brain metastases: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Radiation oncology (London, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Head and neck cancer: a comprehensive review of epidemiology, global burden and advances in radiotherapy.Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute · 2026Review
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundStereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), including stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (hfSRT), plays a key role in the management of brain metastases (BM). As advances in systemic therapies prolong survival, local recurrence of BM has become more frequent, prompting interest in salvage reirradiation strategies.
objectiveThis systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a second course of stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT2) for in-field recurrent brain metastases.
methodsData on local control, overall survival, and radionecrosis were extracted and pooled using random-effects models. Eleven retrospective studies published between 2020 and 2025 were included, comprising 914 patients and 2,352 brain metastases, with 389 lesions treated with salvage SRS2/SRT2. Patients who had received prior whole-brain radiotherapy were excluded.
resultsThe pooled 1-year local failure rate was 24%, and radionecrosis occurred in approximately 13% of cases. Median overall survival after salvage SRS2 was 14 months. Radionecrosis typically occurred within 4–8 months post-treatment and was associated with larger tumor volume and higher prescribed dose. Moderate heterogeneity was observed across studies, and conclusions regarding the impact of multifraction regimens should be interpreted cautiously.
conclusionSalvage SRS2/SRT2 appears to provide meaningful local control and survival benefit in selected patients with recurrent brain metastases, with an acceptable toxicity profile. These findings support its role as an effective non-surgical salvage option, although prospective studies are needed to better define optimal treatment parameters and patient selection.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.