From time to time on the Neurosurgery Blog, you will see us cross-posting or linking to items from other places that we believe will interest our readers. We wanted to bring attention to a recent publication in Neurosurgery, the official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The article, “Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Vestibular Schwannoma in Neurofibromatosis Type 2: An International Multicenter Case Series of Response and Malignant Transformation Risk” was published as part of Neurosurgery’s High-Impact Manuscript Service (HIMS).
Published in the May issue of Neurosurgery, the article is a retrospective study conducted by an international, multicenter team. Lead author Hussam Abou-Al-Shaar, MD of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. and colleagues reviewed data from 12 surgical centers around the world and a total of 267 patients with 328 vestibular schwannomas who underwent stereotactic radiosurgery. They found that stereotactic radiosurgery is effective while preserving serviceable hearing and not causing radiation-related tumor development or malignant transformation.
According to the Wolters Kluwer press release, “Dr. Abou-Al-Shaar’s group concludes that their results point to the need for early treatment of vestibular schwannoma in patients with [neurofibromatosis type 2]. ‘Tumor volume appeared to significantly impact tumor control and freedom from additional treatment, advocating for early stereotactic radiosurgery to maximize benefits and delay clinical deterioration.’”
To read the Neurosurgery article, click here. The complete May issue is here.
Editor’s Note: We hope you will share what you learn from our posts. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following @Neurosurgery and @NeurosurgeryCNS and using the hashtag #neurosurgery.
Neurosurgery supports and welcomes transparent physician-industry interactions to foster healthy relations and spur innovative device development to benefit patients. Within the specialty of neurosurgery, there are numerous examples of just such benefits, including increased access to stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). SRS is a treatment that delivers radiation to precise targets in the brain, such as tumors, while minimizing injury to adjacent areas.
As part of the ongoing Neurosurgery Blog Tumor Series, Deborah L. Benzil, MD, FAANS, FACS, interviewed Stefan Vilsmeier, the CEO and founder of Brainlab. Mr. Vilsmeier discusses why he founded the company and how his software and hardware have increased neurosurgical patient access to SRS. Mr. Vilsmeier observed that many institutions created homegrown radiosurgery systems, but there were no commercially available options.
Brainlab created an innovative software and hardware for performing SRS to provide greater treatment access through standardization. Taking it a step further, Brainlab offers the Novalis Circle, a user group to ensure quality, and Novalis Certified Accreditation Program to promote the delivery of radiosurgery at a level of efficacy and safety commensurate with the highest standards of clinical practice.
The interviews are available here and on Neurosurgery Blog’s YouTube channel.
Part I: What is stereotactic radiosurgery?
Part II: Dr. Benzil’s interview with Mr. Vilsmeier
Editor’s Note: Ethical interactions between industry and health care professionals are essential to strengthening patient trust in the health care system. The Open Payments system, also known as the Sunshine Act, is a federal program that collects information about the payments drug and device companies make to physicians and teaching hospitals. The data the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services collect is published annually.
We hope that you will share what you learn from our posts. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following @Neurosurgery and @NSTumorSection and using the hashtag #TumorSeries.