Differentiated
thyroid cancer (DTC) is associated with a good long-term prognosis, but bone
metastases can adversely affect patients' quality of life and survival. Stereotactic
radiotherapy (SRT) can deliver high-dose irradiation to target lesions and it has been reported to be useful for various
cancers. However, few studies have examined the efficacy of SRT for
thyroid cancer. In the present study, the aim was to investigate the efficacy of SRT using the CyberKnife for bone
metastases from DTC. From September 2013 to April 2018, SRT with the CyberKnife system was used to treat 60 bone
metastases from DTC in 13 patients. The patients' medical records were retrospectively reviewed to obtain information about the adverse events associated with SRT. Of the 60 lesions, 40 could be evaluated by follow-up CT for therapeutic effectiveness, and the RECIST criteria were used to assess the response. The
cancers were papillary
cancer in 3 patients, follicular
cancer in 9 and poorly differentiated
cancer in 1. SRT was delivered in 1-10 fractions, with a median dose of 27 Gy (range, 8-48 Gy). Adverse events were infrequent and mild. The median follow-up of the 40 lesions was 11 (range, 2-56) months. The responses were partial response in 2 lesions, stable disease in 37 lesions and progressive disease in 1 lesion, with a 1-year local control rate of 97.1%. The present study showed that SRT using the CyberKnife system was a feasible and effective treatment for bone
metastases of DTC.