Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Stereotactic Radiosurgery
What is stereotactic radiosurgery?
Stereotactic radiosurgery refers to a type of
non-surgical radiation treatment. During this type of cancer
treatment, radiation is delivered in large doses to a small
area of the body. It is commonly used for the treatment of
brain tumours. Other cancers with early metastatic
progression can benefit from this form of treatment as well.
How does it work?
During the treatment, the area being treated will be immobilised. This can be done with a thermoplastic mask or a specialised body mould. With the use of scans prior to your treatment, your oncologist will be able to identify the area in which the radiation is required. The radiation can then be delivered accurately to the area of the tumour, damaging as little surrounding healthy tissue as possible.
There are a number of ways in which stereotactic radiosurgery may be administered. These include:
Gamma Knife
This specially designed tool delivers small beams of radiation to the tumour from different angles. A large dose of radiation is delivered in a very short period, and in most cases, only one treatment session is necessary.
The treatment involves several stages, including the placement of your head in a frame; imaging tests to determine the exact location of the tumour; computerised dose planning, in which the correct dosage is determined; and the delivery of radiation. The treatment is painless, and you should not feel any discomfort during the session.
The only Gamma Knife in South Africa is located at Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.
Linear Accelerator
This is the most common means by which stereotactic radiosurgery is conducted. A linear accelerator (also known as LINAC) is a device that is controlled by a computer. It works by conforming to the tumour's exact shape and destroying the diseased cells without damaging surrounding tissue. Similar to the Gamma Knife, imaging tests to determine the exact location of the tumour; computerised dose planning; and the delivery of radiation. During the treatment, the LINAC device rotates around the body, delivering radiation from various angles.
This type of radiation treatment is delivered over one to five sessions, depending on your radiation oncologist's selection.