Stereotactic radiosurgery is a targeted therapy with no incision required that is used to treat brain and skull-base tumors, the nerve responsible fortrigeminal neuralgia facial pain,, tremor associated with Parkinson’s disease/essential tremor, and malformed blood vessels known as arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and cavernous malformations . This non-invasive treatment is typically performed in one session using multiple focused radiation beams to precisely target the problem area, while sparing healthy cells. The technology relies on computer programming and sophisticated imaging, such as MRI and CT, to accurately target the tumor, nerves and blood vessels.
There are two main types of radiosurgery treatment:
What is Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?
Gamma Knife® radiosurgery has been in use for over 35 years to successfully treat over a million patients worldwide. It is used to treat a variety of conditions in the brain. Prior to the procedure, the patient is fitted with a stereotactic frame or a facial mask that helps immobilize the head and enables pinpoint accuracy.
At UPMC, more than 18,500 patients have been successfully treated with the Gamma Knife since 1987, when UPMC was the first U.S. center to begin treating patients. Our Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery (CIGNS) at UPMC is a leading center for this technology and has formally instructed over 1,500 health care providers (neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, otolaryngologists, and medical physicists) worldwide.
UPMC treats a variety of conditions using Gamma Knife technology, including:
- Acoustic neuromas (also known as vestibular schwannomas)
- Arteriovenous malformations
- Brain tumors that included metastases, meningiomas, and gliomas (including glioblastoma)
- Cavernomas (also known as cavernous malformations)
- Epilepsy
- Eye metastases
- Facial pain nerve problemslike trigeminal neuralgia
- Tremor associated with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor
- Skull base tumors such as pituitary tumors, glomus tumors, meningiomas, and schwannomas
What is the Cyberknife or Linear Accelerator?
In use since 1994, Cyberknife radiosurgery can treat tumors anywhere in the body, including tumors that cannot be surgically removed. Cyberknife has a growing list of applications, including the ability to treat tumors from prostate, lung, brain, kidney, and spine cancer. A computer guides beams of radiation and is able to adjust the patient’s breathing pattern while still hitting the desired target.
The Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery at UPMC is the nation’s premier provider of Gamma Knife procedures. If you have been diagnosed with a brain or spine condition and you’d like to make an appointment, or request more information, call us at 1-412-647-3685.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .