The Recent Management of Vestibular Schwannoma Radiotherapy: A Narrative Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Radiotherapy (RT) plays an important role in the therapeutic management of vestibular schwannoma (VS). Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) or radiosurgery (SRS) are the two modalities available. The purpose of this article is to review the results of VS RT studies carried out over the last ten years. Materials and Methods: A literature search was performed with PubMed and Medline by using the words vestibular schwannoma, acoustic neuroma, radiotherapy, and radiosurgery. Results: In small (<3 cm) VS, SRS offers a local control rate of >90%, which seems similar to microsurgery, with a favorable tolerance profile. Hypofractionated FSRT (three to five fractions) is a relatively recent modality and has shown similar outcomes to normofractionated FSRT. Hearing preservation may highly differ between studies, but it is around 65% at 5 years. Conclusions: SRS and FRST are non-invasive treatment options for VS. SRS is often preferred for small lesions less than 3 cm, and FSRT for larger lesions. However, no randomized study has compared these modalities.