METASTASIS TO THE BRAIN-GAMMA KNIFE RADIATION

HeartofSoul said:

i had submitted a post that
i had submitted a post that sits right above yours (june 12) regaridng Brain radiation therapy vs Radiosurgery. Ive reposted here

Profile of Radiosurgery Options & When for Met to Brain
Stereotactic radiosurgery may or may not be appropriate for a condition. It may be used as the primary treatment or recommended in addition to other treatments that are needed. Only a treating neurosurgeon who operates radiosurgery equipment can make the evaluation as to whether someone can be treated. A neurosurgeon must always be present during treatment and should work with a radiation oncologist when the brain is being targeted.

RADIOSURGERY
Stereotactic radiosurgery uses a large number of narrow, precisely aimed, highly focused beams of ionizing radiation to destroy brain tumors. The beams are aimed from many directions circling the head, and all converge at a specific point the tumor. That method necessitates knowledge of the exact location of the tumor and of any critical brain structures between the tumor and the scalp. This treatment is planned so that each part of the brain through which the beams pass receives only a small amount of the total dose. At the same time, it allows for a large dose to be delivered to the tumor itself. Conventional, external radiation to the entire brain often follows the radiosurgery.

There are three methods of delivering stereotactic radiosurgery: Gamma Unit (Gammaknife), adapted linear accelerators (Cyberknife) and cyclotrons.

The size of the tumor is a determining factor in deciding whether stereotactic radiosurgery is appropriate. Is the tumor small having a diameter of about one inch or less (three centimeters)? If so, radiosurgery may be appropriate. Larger tumors require more beams of radiation. That results in a greater effect on normal brain tissue. Other factors need to be considered to determine if this form of treatment is appropriate.
Are there multiple tumors? If so, what is their size and location? It may be possible to treat as many as three or four tumors, depending on their locations. Has the diagnosis of metastatic brain tumor been confirmed by biopsy? If there was prior radiation, is there an increased risk of side-effects with this modality?

Stereotactic radiosurgery requires minimal hospitalization. There is no risk of infection, and it requires only a short period of time for recuperation. However, the results of treatment are not immediate and there is some risk of damage due to the radiation.
Stereotactic radiosurgery does not offer the opportunity for confirmation of the diagnosis.

Stereotactic radiosurgery may be useful as a boost to other forms of radiation therapy for metastatic brain tumors. The characteristics of those tumors appear to be ideal for that type of focused treatment. Investigational studies are still ongoing since radiosurgery has been used for metastatic brain tumors for only a few years.

HeartofSoul said:

Profile of Radiosurgery Options & When for Met to Brain
Stereotactic radiosurgery may or may not be appropriate for a condition. It may be used as the primary treatment or recommended in addition to other treatments that are needed. Only a treating neurosurgeon who operates radiosurgery equipment can make the evaluation as to whether someone can be treated. A neurosurgeon must always be present during treatment and should work with a radiation oncologist when the brain is being targeted.


RADIOSURGERY
Stereotactic radiosurgery uses a large number of narrow, precisely aimed, highly focused beams of ionizing radiation to destroy brain tumors. The beams are aimed from many directions circling the head, and all converge at a specific point the tumor. That method necessitates knowledge of the exact location of the tumor and of any critical brain structures between the tumor and the scalp. This treatment is planned so that each part of the brain through which the beams pass receives only a small amount of the total dose. At the same time, it allows for a large dose to be delivered to the tumor itself. Conventional, external radiation to the entire brain often follows the radiosurgery.

There are three methods of delivering stereotactic radiosurgery: Gamma Unit (Gammaknife), adapted linear accelerators (Cyberknife) and cyclotrons.

The size of the tumor is a determining factor in deciding whether stereotactic radiosurgery is appropriate. Is the tumor small having a diameter of about one inch or less (three centimeters)? If so, radiosurgery may be appropriate. Larger tumors require more beams of radiation. That results in a greater effect on normal brain tissue. Other factors need to be considered to determine if this form of treatment is appropriate.
Are there multiple tumors? If so, what is their size and location? It may be possible to treat as many as three or four tumors, depending on their locations. Has the diagnosis of metastatic brain tumor been confirmed by biopsy? If there was prior radiation, is there an increased risk of side-effects with this modality?

Stereotactic radiosurgery requires minimal hospitalization. There is no risk of infection, and it requires only a short period of time for recuperation. However, the results of treatment are not immediate and there is some risk of damage due to the radiation.
Stereotactic radiosurgery does not offer the opportunity for confirmation of the diagnosis.

Stereotactic radiosurgery may be useful as a boost to other forms of radiation therapy for metastatic brain tumors. The characteristics of those tumors appear to be ideal for that type of focused treatment. Investigational studies are still ongoing since radiosurgery has been used for metastatic brain tumors for only a few years.

HeartofSoul said:

When you mentioned your
When you mentioned your scheduled for 5 days a week for 3 weeks and the length of radiation would be about 1 minute on each side of my head, your talking about radiation therapy, not radio surgery.


Brain Radiation Therapy (Whole Head) SIDE EFFECTS

There are some side effects that may be seen with radiation therapy for a brain tumor. Specific side effects may also vary with the part of the brain being treated. Radiation therapy for a brain tumor is usually associated with hair loss in the area of the scalp that the X-ray beams are going through; this may be temporary or permanent. It may cause some reddening and scaling of the scalp as well.

Fatigue is commonly seen and there may be loss of appetite or a change in one’s sense of taste. Occasionally, there is nausea and rarely, vomiting; medications usually alleviate these symptoms. If the inner ear is irradiated while the tumor is being treated, there may be fluid build-up behind the eardrum, which is usually treated with decongestants. Following radiation therapy, there may be persistent fatigue that can sometimes last for several months. Steroids (such as dexamethasone) may lessen some of these symptoms, but the minimum effective dose should be used because of possible systemic side effects.

The most noticeable long-term side effect is a gradual decline in some higher brain functions, which will occur over a few years. Many patients notice this as a memory problem. It would seem reasonable that the area of the brain irradiated and the dose of radiation given would be important factors that might influence this side effect, but this has never been conclusively proven. It is not certain whether this gradual decline in higher brain functions stabilizes after several years, but many patients believe it does.


Summary of Radiation Therapy:
Radiation therapy is usually done on an outpatient basis with treatment occurring each workday for a period of several weeks. If the patient has had surgery for the tumor, radiation therapy typically begins a week or two after surgery.

Radiation therapy is an effective cancer therapy. In surgery, a surgeon may be constrained in resecting the cancer by the presence of critical structures that cannot be removed. The side effects of chemotherapy on normal tissues far away from the brain may limit the ability of a medical oncologist to deliver appropriately intensive treatment to a brain tumor. In radiation therapy, a non-invasive treatment can be given repetitively over several weeks to months and can be aimed specifically at the area where treatment is needed, minimizing side effects for uninvolved normal tissues.