Research Summary: Radiation Wrap
Jan. 3 - BACKGROUND: According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 19,000 brain or spinal cord cancers were diagnosed in 2005 in the United States. Radiation is often used to shrink these tumors. With standard radiotherapy, either the whole brain or parts of the brain are radiated. However, more than just the tumor receives that radiation, and healthy tissue is also harmed. Because of this, radiation doses in a single treatment session are kept low to avoid major damage.
Stereotactic radiosurgery devices are becoming more and more popular. This kind of radiotherapy allows higher doses of radiation to be delivered in a single treatment session. Because a high dose is used, it's vital that the radiation is only directed at the tumor and not healthy tissue. There have been many advances in radiosurgery devices over the last decade and as a result, there are nearly 30,000 radiosurgical procedures performed each year across the world.
GETTING BETTER: A new system, called Novalis Shaped Beam Surgery, is taking radiosurgery to new heights. Using multi-directional radiation beams, Novalis wraps a three-dimensional volume of radiation dose around tumors. By conforming to the contours of the tumor, the radiation is delivered in high doses to the tumor and avoids healthy brain tissue. The radiation beams are continuously adjusted during the treatment to match the shape of the tumor from numerous angles. This ensures the tumor gets the full prescription dose of radiation, while healthy brain tissue is protected.
WHY IT'S A STEP ABOVE: Novalis can treat tumors deep within the brain that couldn't have been treated before as well as treat difficult tumors in the spine. Walter Curran, M.D., from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, says the system can also treat people who have already received what would be considered the standard radiation dose. Because this new technology is so precise, people can be treated with radiation a second time. The system not only treats brain and spinal tumors; it is also being used to treat liver, lung, head and neck, and prostate cancers. Dr. Curran says, "It's tremendous to offer something like this to people particularly if the other options are limited or are not as desirable. Sparing the adjacent [healthy] tissues really gives us a chance to treat [patients] whom we previously wouldn't have treated."
NOT JUST A CANCER TREATMENT: The Novalis radiosurgery system is offering hope to more than just cancer patients. Among the other disease it may help are Parkinson's disease, trigeminal neuralgia, and intractable seizures. Not all centers that offer Novalis use the system to treat all of these conditions, but some do. The treatment is generally covered by insurance and is being offered at 36 centers across the United States. To find a center near you, log onto
www.novalis-surgery.com and click on Novalis Centers.
Copyright 2006, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT.
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