How does gamma knife radiosurgery treat brain cancer? How are the results measured?

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VivekMehtaMD (Physician - Oncology - Radiation (Verified) ) - 06 / 11 / 2012

The Gamma Knife is a device that is used to treat cancer that has spread to the brain. The device is able to offer pinpoint radiation to specific locations within the brain. A frame is attached to the patient’s skull. The patient then undergoes an MRI. The disease in the brain is then identified on the MRI, and the location is defined using x, y, and z coordinates. These are referenced to the frame that is secured on the patient’s skull. It is important to note that the skull and the brain don’t move at all. Once the target is identified, a plan is developed to aim beams from multiple different angles. They all overlap on the target, but because the dose comes from so many different angles, there is very little dose that spreads outside of the target. Because of how the dose is able to conform to the target alone, the device enables the treating physician to deliver a very high dose of radiation to the target but very little of it “spills out” to the normal brain tissue. The results in terms of controlling the cancer are excellent. Many publications report that using this technique you can control the disease in 90-95% of the cases.
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