Stereotactic radiosurgery

For some patients, high dose, strategically directed radiation known as stereotactic radiosurgery delivered over one to five days may be a better treatment option. A single radiosurgery treatment can only be used to treat tumors of a limited size since larger tumors require less focused radiation. Radiosurgery works well for many benign and malignant tumors and can be used instead of conventional radiation or surgery or in combination with these treatments.

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Stereotactic radiosurgery uses precisely targeted beams of radiation that are targeted directly at the tumor while causing little damage to healthy surrounding tissue. The procedure typically produces results dramatic enough to be deemed " surgical. " During stereotactic radiosurgery, the tumor is pinpointed using MRI or CT. The patient is fitted with a head frame or other immobilization device that is positioned in a special machine so the radiation can be directed at the tumor. In one common type of radiosurgery, the patient lies on a bed that slides into a machine, which delivers the radiation from radioactive cobalt through 201 ports inside the helmet. The beams intersect at the tumor target. Other types use linear accelerators with devices to match the shape of the delivered radiation to the tumor. When similar techniques are used with lower doses over more sessions, this is called stereotactic radiotherapy.

Stereotactic radiosurgery is an alternative to conventional surgery when the results are equal or superior to surgery, the risks associated with surgery are too high, or the patient is not a good candidate because of age, health factors, or an inability to tolerate general anesthesia. It is sometimes used in combination with conventional surgery and radiation therapy in order to maximize response while minimizing risk.