Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Benign Skull Base Tumors

Abstract

Benign skull base tumors include meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngiomas, and vestibular schwannomas. As an adjuvant therapy to surgery or when surgical treatment carries too high a risk of complications, a highly precise focused radiation, known as stereotactic radiosurgery or fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy, can be delivered to the tumor. The aim of this chapter is to systematically discuss benefits of the therapy, i.e., tumor control as well as complications and risk factors of the therapy relating to vision, hearing, hormone secreting regions, and cerebral vasculature. Meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngiomas, and vestibular schwannomas constitute the majority of primary skull base tumors amenable to stereotactic radiation therapy or radiosurgery and will be described in this chapter.

The Obligation to Establish and Uphold Judicial Independence under Article 19(1) TEU

“…Ensuring tenure for judges must necessarily mean that they cannot, ordinarily, be removed before the expiration of their term. This is often called the principle of irremovability, and is widely acknowledged by the ECJ, 136 the ECtHR, 137 and in wider IHRL. 138 If judges could be removed before the expiration of their terms, the executive or legislative could pressure judges for favourable outcomes or seek to remove disloyal judges.…”

“…The ECtHR saw that as a breach of 'fundamental rules' in that procedure. 118 Similarly, 'fundamental rules' were breached in Xero Flor because the Polish president had refused to take the oaths of lawfully appointed judges, instead delaying until the next parliamentary session so that the new majority could appoint judges. 119 In conclusion, the irregularities that cause a breach of Article 19(1) TEU are those which grant other branches increased discretion to appoint their own preferred judges.…”