Reviewed Article: Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastasis.

Abstract

Background: Brain metastases pose a significant challenge in oncology, contributing to morbidity and mortality rates. These metastases originates from primary tumors in the breast, lung, and melanoma tumors and has promoted the exploration of several treatment modalities, including stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). SRS is considered to be one of the most effective treatments for brain metastases due to its precision in delivering high doses of radiation with low damage to the surrounding tissues.

Method: A search of Scopus database was conducted using key terms like "stereotactic," "radiosurgery," "brain metastasis," and "SRS". Relevant articles were screened based on title, abstract, and full text. The top 100 articles, ranked by citation frequency, were included, and analysed for various details including title, first author, publication year, journal name, journal impact factor, country of first author, country of study, first author institution, corresponding author institution, study design, patient involvement, number of patients studied, primary aim, source of metastasis, and study conclusion.

Results: The top 100 cited articles on SRS for brain metastases were identified, with an average citation of 149 citations per article. The study found that the USA, followed by Japan and Switzerland, produced the highest number of publications on stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastasis. The University of Pittsburgh was the leading institution in the USA. The analysis showed an increasing trend in publications from 2007 to 2017, with a peak in 2010, followed by a decline, potentially influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an effective treatment for brain metastases, delivering precise high-dose radiation with rapid dose fall-off. This study revealed that the USA, particularly the University of Pittsburgh, has produced the most publications on this topic. This information can help clinicians and researchers identify valuable articles and journals related to SRS.