Brain Tumours: Which Types Can Be Treated With Gamma Knife?

Brain Tumours: Which Types Can Be Treated With Gamma Knife?

For people diagnosed with certain types of brain tumours, Gamma Knife can offer an effective, less invasive alternative to traditional surgery or whole-brain radiotherapy. In this article, we’ll explain what Gamma Knife treatment is, how it works, and which types of brain tumours can be treated with it.

What Is Gamma Knife radiosurgery?

Gamma Knife is a highly advanced form of stereotactic radiosurgery. It’s carried out with a specialised medical device that delivers up to 192 narrow beams of gamma radiation to a very specific area inside the brain.

Each beam is too weak to damage healthy tissue on its own, but when all the beams converge at a single point – the tumour – they deliver a powerful dose of energy capable of destroying tumour cells or stopping them from growing.

Because the treatment is so precise, Gamma Knife is able to target the tumour while minimising radiation exposure to surrounding healthy brain tissue. That precision makes it particularly useful for tumours or lesions located deep within the brain or near vital structures that are difficult to reach with surgery.

What makes Gamma Knife different from conventional surgery?

Unlike traditional brain surgery, Gamma Knife treatment doesn’t involve cutting into the skull. Instead, the patient wears a lightweight frame or a custom-fitted mask to keep the head perfectly still during treatment. The procedure is usually completed in a single session, and most people go home the same day.

The benefits often include:

• Minimal recovery time – many patients return to normal activities within 24 – 48 hours.
• No general anaesthetic or hospital stay.
• Reduced risk of infection or bleeding.
• Precise targeting –protecting healthy brain tissue as much as possible.

Which types of brain tumours can be treated with Gamma Knife?

Gamma Knife is used for a wide range of benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) brain tumours, as well as some other neurological conditions. Let’s look at some of the most common examples.

Meningiomas

Meningiomas are among the most frequent benign brain tumours. They grow from the membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Gamma Knife is often used for:

• Small to medium-sized meningiomasthat are difficult to reach surgically.
• Residual or recurring tumoursleft behind after an operation.

Because meningiomas typically grow slowly, a single high-dose Gamma Knife treatment can stop further growth and control symptoms for years.

Acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannomas)

These benign tumours develop on the nerve that connects the ear to the brain and can cause hearing loss, tinnitus, or balance problems.

Gamma Knife offers a way to:

• Control tumour growthwhile preserving hearing and facial nerve function.
• Avoid open surgery, which carries a risk of nerve damage.

Treatment is often completed in one session, with follow-up MRI scans to monitor progress.

Pituitary adenomas

The pituitary gland sits deep in the brain and regulates many of the body’s hormones. Tumours here, called pituitary adenomas, can cause hormonal imbalances, vision changes, and headaches.

Gamma Knife can precisely target the adenoma while sparing the optic nerves and healthy pituitary tissue, reducing risks associated with surgery. It’s especially useful for residual tumours after partial removal.

Metastatic brain tumours

These are secondary tumours that spread to the brain from cancers elsewhere in the body, such as the lung, breast, or skin (melanoma).

Gamma Knife is often used to treat one or several small metastases (commonly 1–10+, depending on total tumour volume) and can be repeated if new lesions appear.

Because it can be repeated if new metastases develop, Gamma Knife has become a mainstay of care for many patients with limited brain metastases.

Gliomas and other malignant tumours

Gamma Knife can sometimes be used for certain types of low-grade gliomas or for recurrent malignant tumours when surgery or other treatments are not suitable. However, because aggressive gliomas (like glioblastoma) tend to spread into surrounding brain tissue, Gamma Knife is generally a supportive or complementary treatment rather than a primary one.

What to expect before and after treatment

Before treatment, patients undergo a detailed MRI or CT scan to map the exact location, size, and shape of the tumour. During the procedure, the medical team – usually a neurosurgeon, radiation oncologist, and physicist – works together to plan and deliver the dose with pinpoint accuracy.

Afterwards, most people experience little to no pain. Some may have mild headache or fatigue for a day or two, but serious side effects are rare. Follow-up imaging helps track how the tumour responds over time.

When is Gamma Knife not suitable?

Gamma Knife is not right for everyone. It’s generally not used for:

• Large tumours that cause severe pressure or swelling in the brain.
• Tumours located too close to sensitive brain structures where even minimal radiation could cause harm.
• Patients needing urgent surgical removal to relieve pressure.
• Lesions typically >3–4 cm in diameter or causing significant mass-effect/swelling.

In these cases, conventional surgery or other forms of radiotherapy may be recommended.

A powerful option for the right patient

Gamma Knife radiosurgery has transformed how many brain tumours are treated, offering precision, safety, and convenience in a single session. While it’s not suitable for every case, for carefully selected patients it can be a life-changing, minimally invasive alternative that controls tumours effectively while preserving quality of life.

If you or someone you love is facing a brain tumour diagnosis and wish to discuss potential Gamma Knife treatment or simply find out more, please contact Amethyst Radiotherapy.

Centres of Excellence for Stereotactic Radiosurgery treatment of complex Brain Tumours