What is radiosurgery?
Radiosurgery is a sophisticated radiotherapy technique which is not invasive, that allows us to radiate small intracranial lesions with a high dose of radiation in an extremely precise and accurate method, causing the destruction or necrosis (cell death). This technique is called "radiosurgery" because the treatment is performed in one or a few sessions (three to six), mimicking the effects of radical surgery on the tumour, but in a totally non-invasive manner and using radiation instead of a scalpel. It does not require any kind of anaesthesia and is performed on an outpatient basis.
How is the treatment performed?
- The pre-treatment involves:
• The preparation of a custom immobilization system (highly tolerable mask thermoplastic)
• Carrying out a CT scan and MRI simulation, during which images are acquired for the development of the treatment plan
- The treatment phase includes a daily session, which is painless and last’s a few minutes. The patient is not radioactive at any time and can continue his normal work and family life. It will be evaluated daily by a medical dressing, with drugs based on cortisone to reduce the inflammatory effects on the brain tissue during and after treatment.
For which treatment is this procedure indicated?
The radiosurgery brain is a procedure that can be used for the treatment of:
- Primary brain tumours
- Neuromas of acoustic type
- Meningioma’s
- Brain metastases
Who gives the indication to the treatment?
The indication for treatment is given by the specialist in radiation therapy after a consultation with the patient during which changes are made:
- The collection of the patients history
- The evaluation of the clinical and laboratory examinations (CT, MRI, PET)
- The assessment of risks and benefits of any treatment
