A review of 3 current radiosurgery systems.

Publication/Presentation Date

12-1-2006

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic radiosurgery and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy have become widespread techniques applied to the treatment of a variety of intracranial lesions. Rapid evolution of new technologies has now enabled clinicians to treat tumors outside the cranium and down the spinal axis. This review compares 3 commercially available systems in widespread use throughout the world.

METHODS: Literature review and interviews with practitioners in the United States were performed to establish data for a comparative analysis of the Gamma Knife (Elekta, Sweden), Novalis (BrainLabs, Germany), and CyberKnife systems (Accuray, Sunnyvale, CA). Cost analyses were deliberately excluded because of the need for detailed cost-benefit analysis beyond the scope of the review.

RESULTS: An unbiased comparative analysis was not possible because of the lack of objective data from a standard metric for these systems. Despite this shortcoming, disparate features of each system were compared and contrasted.

CONCLUSION: A careful assessment of each system, including its operational features, capabilities, and yearly capacity must be weighed against the composition of the radiosurgery team, the case mix of the practice, and the objectives of the clinical unit to yield the best fit.

Volume

66

Issue

6

First Page

559

Last Page

564

ISSN

0090-3019

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

17145309

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article

Share

COinS