Confused by the terms radiosurgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, and Gamma Knife? Discover the key differences and which treatment option is right for you.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a brain tumour, vascular malformation, or neurological condition, you may be exploring various treatment options. During your research or discussions with your medical team, you might have heard terms such as ‘radiosurgery’, ‘stereotactic radiosurgery’, or ‘Gamma Knife radiosurgery.’
They might sound similar, but understanding the differences can empower you to make a well-informed decision about your treatment. It also helps to demystify the process of treating neurological conditions at a time that patients and their families may find distressing and overwhelming.
Here’s a look at the key distinctions between them.
Radiosurgery isn’t a traditional type of surgery in that it doesn’t involve making incisions with a scalpel. Instead, it’s a non-invasive medical procedure that uses precisely targeted beams of radiation to treat abnormalities in the brain or spine. It may also be used to treat conditions in other parts of the body.
The aim of traditional open surgery is to physically remove as much of the tumour or lesion as possible, whereas radiosurgery is designed to disrupt the ability of abnormal cells to grow.
Radiosurgery for brain tumours is usually considered as a treatment option when a physical operation is not possible, which may be due to the health of the patient or the type, size or location of the tumour. It may also be used after traditional surgery to destroy any remaining abnormal tissue.
Radiosurgery is most often an option to treat:
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a form of radiotherapy that uses very tightly focused beams of radiation at a higher dose than is used for standard radiosurgery. This means that the treatment is more accurately targeted, and the risk of damaging the surrounding healthy brain tissue is minimised.
Another advantage of SRS is that it is usually delivered in one single treatment, rather than multiple sessions across a number of weeks. This minimises the stress and disruption of the treatment for patients and their families.
SRS is most suited to treating small tumours that are in an easily accessible part of the brain. It may not be suitable for larger tumours or those without clearly defined boundaries, such as gliomas.
Gamma Knife is a form of SRS that has been specifically developed to treat conditions in the brain, head and neck. The term ‘knife’ refers to the precision and accuracy of the radiation beams rather than a surgical knife.
Gamma Knife technology was invented in 1967 by Swedish neurosurgeon Dr. Lars Leksell, who also coined the term “radiosurgery.” Since then, it has come to be regarded as one of the safest and most effective tools for treating small to medium-sized brain lesions.
The Gamma Knife machine delivers up to 192 beams of gamma radiation from multiple angles, that are targeted with sub-millimetre accuracy to converge on the site of the tumour or lesion. Individually, each beam is too weak to cause damage as it crosses the brain tissue, but collectively they are powerful enough to destroy abnormal cells.
The best treatment option depends on your condition, the size and location of the lesion, your general health, and the availability of technologies at your treatment centre.
For small brain tumours, AVMs, and trigeminal neuralgia, Gamma Knife is often the preferred choice. Larger or irregular-shaped lesions may require traditional open surgery, or another form of stereotactic radiotherapy to reduce risk to surrounding tissues.
Your specialist team – usually including a neurosurgeon, oncologist, and radiologist – will help determine the most appropriate option based on clinical evidence and your specific needs.
At Amethyst Radiotherapy, we have specialist medical teams who care for patients with brain tumours and other neurological conditions at the UK’s only dedicated NHS approved Gamma Knife centres. These include Queen Square Radiosurgery Centre in London, and Thornbury Radiosurgery Centre in Sheffield.
If you would like to find out more about Gamma Knife treatment, please contact us today.
Centres of Excellence for Stereotactic Radiosurgery treatment of complex Brain Tumours
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