The Role of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a difficult malignancy to manage with little improvement in mortality rates over time. Local control remains a challenge. The objective of this review is to discuss patient selection and technical considerations for the safe utilization of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Methods: An online search was completed to review available data. The current literature examining the use and delivery of SBRT for pancreatic cancer was reviewed and summarized. Patient selection criteria, technical considerations, and the implementation of SBRT are described. Results: Studies thus far have shown promising outcomes for SBRT in terms of potential for conversion from borderline or unresectable to resectable disease as well as the feasibility of delivering SBRT safely. Conclusion: SBRT represents an emerging treatment option for patients to improve local control through delivery of ablative, high-dose radiation while reducing radiation treatment time as compared to conventionally fractionated chemoradiation. Further studies are needed to explore the full potential and toxicities of SBRT in pancreatic cancer. The importance of technical considerations in this modality cannot be overstated.