Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy is a technique that delivers high radiation doses to a tumor target anywhere in the body in a hypo-fractionated schedule, usually 2 to 5 fractions over a one- to two-week period, without increasing complications when compared to conventional radiotherapy. SBRT is an excellent alternate choice of treatment for patients with medically inoperable tumors, elderly patients who are high risk for surgery, or patients who refuse surgical treatment. There is a large volume of published data demonstrating dramatically higher rates of local control with SBRT when compared to conventional radiotherapy. SBRT can deliver optimal radiation dose to both new primary and metastatic cancer sites and to even previously irradiated sites safely to avoid damage to the critical structure, such as the spinal cord. It is well-suited therapy for inoperable primary and metastatic liver tumors, pancreatic tumors, and  localized spinal tumors, as well as other selected tumors.

SBRT uses a linear accelerator delivery system for extracranial treatment. Patients with spinal tumors, either primary or metastasis, often have intractable pain and attendant neurological dysfunction. Using conventional irradiation to control spinal metastases can be limited by spinal cord tolerance. This limitation can also prevent re-irradiation at a previous treatment site by conventional techniques. SBRT can deliver the optimal radiation dose to both primary and metastatic cancersites and previously irradiated sites safely, avoiding damage to the spinal cord. SBRT is an appropriate treatment choice for patients who have mechanically stable spinal tumors without cord compression, as well as for patients with paravetebral tumors.