Recurring Brain Tumors are Treated Effectively by Gamma Knife

Nov. 11, 2009 - PRLog -- According to a study conducted by radiation oncologists at the Cleveland Clinic, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) performed on recurring brain tumors proved effective at extending the survival of the patient and controlling the tumor.

The study is based on the research team’s analysis of 111 patients who initially were treated with whole-brain-radiation-therapy (WBRT) then received SRS to treat the tumor recurrence.  Stereotactic radiosurgery can be performed with one of the following three radiation therapy technologies: Gamma Knife®, Linear Accelerator, or Particle Beam Cyclotron.  The Gamma Knife® was used to treat 110 of the 111 patients.

SRS treats brain tumors and other disorders with a precise delivery of a single, high dose of radiation.  SRS shrinks the tumor by preventing the cancerous cells from reproducing and retaining fluids.  The gamma knife’s 201 intersecting cobalt beams provide a dose of precise radiation equal to 20-30 traditional radiation treatments, in one 45-minute session.  Because of the very steep fall-off of the radiation field outside the specified target area, the dose to the immediately surrounding tissue is minimized.

“South Nassau Communities Hospital is the only, and was the first, hospital on Long Island to use the Gamma Knife®,” said Rajiv Datta, MD, Medical Director of the Cancer Center, Chairman of the Department of Surgery, and Chief of Surgical Oncology/Head & Neck Surgery.  “We have a multidisciplinary team consisting of first-rate neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, physicists, and nurses, who are specially trained in performing Gamma Knife procedures.”

Since opening Long Island Gamma Knife® in 2002, more than 600 patients have received Gamma Knife® treatment at South Nassau, including more than 400 patients with a variety of brain tumors including pituitary, metastatic or meningioma lesions, primary brain tumors, acoustic neuroma, arterial venous malformations (AVMs,) and other conditions.

The Gamma Knife® can be considered for masses that are small or large, single or multiple, benign or malignant, with or without surrounding edema, with or without standard surgery or radiation, with tissue or radiographic diagnosis, in children or adults, in the brain, orbits, or paranasal sinuses.

“The Gamma Knife® incorporates leading-edge technologies that enable us to treat a variety of debilitating and life-threatening conditions,” said Edward Mullen, MD, South Nassau’s chairman of radiation oncology and co-medical director of Long Island Gamma Knife®.  “When we invested in this life-saving technology it was with the knowledge that it would be of great benefit to the communities we serve and that it provided us the capability to effectively and efficiently treat the gamut of brain tumors, malformations, and conditions.”

Since Gamma Knife® surgery is minimally invasive, the lengthy hospital stays associated with brain surgery are avoided. Patients return home the same day of treatment, and can usually resume their normal activities, including working and driving, within days. There is little risk of potential morbidity, such as hemorrhage and infection, that is associated with conventional surgery.  More than 30 years of clinical studies documented in more than 1,500 published, peer-reviewed articles have shown that the Gamma Knife® has clear benefits compared to traditional neurosurgery.

“Our peerless track record and tradition of excellence is attributable to our team’s acumen and experience and commitment to patient-centered treatment plans that maximize the benefits of the technology,” Michael Brisman, MD, co-medical director of the Long Island Gamma Knife®.

For additional information on the Long Island Gamma Knife, or to arrange for an evaluation, please call 1-866-LI GAMMA.

# # #

South Nassau Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 435 beds, more than 875 physicians and 2,600 employees. Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services. In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau is a designated Stroke Center, boasts Long Island’s first and only Gamma Knifeâ and provides emergency and elective angioplasty. South Nassau is designated as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons and is recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery. For more information, visit www.southnassau.org.