Читать книгу The Cancer Directory - Dr. Daniel Rosy - Страница 118

This is a non-invasive therapy for brain tumours that, in the past, have been very difficult to treat. It directs precisely guided beams of radiation from many hundreds of different angles to converge on the tumour. It is called radiosurgery because the surgeon uses the radiation beams like a knife to cut out the tumour. By focusing these beams from so many different positions, the effects on the normal healthy brain and tissue are minimized while striking only the target with the prescribed treatment.

The main difference between standard radiation and fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery is that standard radiation will also irradiate large amounts of normal healthy brain compared with radiosurgery, which is focused almost exclusively on the tumour.

This approach is also proving effective for treating tumours of the head and neck, where there are many important nerves and structures very close together in one area.

Traditional surgery may result in a degree of facial paralysis and functional loss, so this form of treatment, if available, is highly desirable.