Treatment Options for Acoustic Neuroma

Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) HTA Report #15.

The present health technology assessment report has been prepared following a request by Alberta Health and Wellness for additional information on the use of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the treatment of acoustic neuroma, one of the applications considered in an earlier publication on SRS.

Two main issues are considered here. The first is the place and role of SRS in management of acoustic neuroma, in comparison with neurosurgical techniques. The second is the comparative performance of the two most commonly available forms of SRS, the modified linear accelerator (LINAC) and the Gamma Knife® (GK), a device that makes use of radiation from cobalt-60 sources. Matters related to cost have not been addressed in detail.

NOTE: In 2006 the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research HTA unit moved to IHE. Documents produced in and prior to 2006 have different formats; the format was determined by the agency for which the document was produced.