Radiosurgery Center of Excellence
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is proud to offer our patients stereotactic radiosurgery.
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) uses a large dose of radiation to destroy tumor tissue in the brain. The procedure does not involve actual surgery. The patient's head is placed in a special frame, which is attached to the patient's skull. The frame is used to aim high-dose radiation beams directly at the tumor inside the patient's head. The dose and area receiving the radiation are coordinated very precisely. Most nearby tissues are not damaged by this procedure.
SRS is a team effort. The highly complex procedure, involving the concentrated effort of oncologists, neurologists and medical physicists, is completed in one day. Since the beam is so precise, the radiation oncologist may be able to spare more normal tissue than with conventional external beam therapy. This additional precision is achieved through rigid immobilization, such as with a head frame as is used in the treatment of brain tumors. In addition to treating tumors, it can also be used to treat malformations in the brain's blood vessels and certain noncancerous (benign) brain tumors. SRS minimizes patient inconvenience. In the majority of cases the entire treatment can be delivered in one office visit.
The BrainLAB Novalis® treatment system, the only unit of its kind in Louisiana , is a non-invasive radiation treatment machine designed to treat selected tumors and non-malignant conditions. This technology is the first to incorporate both precise shaping to conform to the target and image guidance using x-rays and infrared localization. Because of this, some conditions can be treated more effectively and with fewer side effects than with other radiation technologies.
Novalis will precisely match the contour of targets using micro- multileaf collimation (MMLC) to shape the radiation beams. During treatment, Novalis steadily moves around the patient's body so that the radiation penetrates the target from different angles. Computer software calculates the dose from each beam that will best treat the target. While the target receives the full dose, the surrounding healthy tissue only receives a small percentage of the radiation dose.
Novalis combines multiple advanced technologies for image guidance. Patients are positioned using x-rays and infrared three-dimensional real time imaging. The x-ray system can use both bony landmarks and implanted metallic markers. Novalis' computer then analyzes these images to move the patient to the precisely intended position. For targets in the brain, a rigid metallic frame is often anchored to the head helping eliminate any patient movement. More in-depth patient information about Novalis can be found in the Novalis patient brochure, which answers most frequently asked questions about this technology.
Additionally, the treatment team at the Center continued its innovative use of technology and began treating patients with complex non -cancerous conditions such as Trigeminal Neuralgia and Acoustic Neuromas -- painful benign disorders. By working closely with experts in the field of neurology and neurosurgery, including those at The NeuroMedical Center, these conditions can sometimes be treated with radiation therapy instead of surgery.
Read about a patient treated for Trigeminal Neuralgia.
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