GW is recognized as a leading center of excellence for treating brain tumors, with tremendous expertise and close collaboration among neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, radiation oncologists, neuroradiologists, and neuropathologists.
Various forms of radiation are commonly involved in the treatment of brain tumors and selected other brain conditions. GW has a wide variety of available techniques and specialized equipment, so that the best treatment can be chosen for any individual case. One technique, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), involves the delivery of a high dose of radiation precisely focused on a target within the brain. SRS is a non-surgical procedure and does not involve an actual knife; it is called “radiosurgery” because of its precision.
Radiosurgery is often used for:
- Brain metastases
- Benign brain tumors such as meningiomas, schwannomas, and pituitary adenomas
- Arteriovenous malformations not amenable to safe removal via surgery
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Acoustic Schwannoma
The TrueBeam™ STx is an advanced, top of the line linear accelerator designed to treat well-defined tumors at any site in the body. Its micro-MultiLeaf Collimator (MLC) allows for stereotactic treatment of small tumors. We use the TrueBeam™ STx to treat malignancies located in the brain, spine, head and neck, lung, liver, and pancreas, both in conventional dose fractionation and radiosurgery.
Radiosurgery on the STx machine is a noninvasive system that combines several advanced imaging guidance systems, which map the precise location of the patient and the lesion during treatment, and high-dose rate treatment beams along with our high definition MLC system to accurately shape the radiation beam to the target. This allows us to quickly deliver large amounts of radiation to the target, while limiting dose elsewhere. This allows for the precise adjustment of patient positions due to patient and organ movements before and during treatment. Therefore, it is capable of maintaining a high degree of precision and is particularly useful for tumors that are close to critical structures. It also allows for the treatment of patients who have inoperable tumors or who underwent previous irradiation.
GW Radiation Oncology has developed a stereotactic radiosurgery technique to allow single-day, high-dose treatment of metastatic brain tumors. In comparison, conventional therapies can take up to six weeks. Finally, we have pioneered the use of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (using single doses of radiotherapy) for the re-treatment of metastases to the spine and paraspinal regions. This approach spares significant doses to the spinal cord, while obtaining remarkably durable control of disease.
Contact Us
For more information on the SRS program, contact GW Radiation Oncology:
Main Phone: (202) 715-5097
Fax: (202) 715-5136