A Bright Horizon In Treatment of Brain and Body Tumors

Our Commitment

Each of our specialists, therapists and support staff is dedicated to creating a comfortable and compassionate setting that promotes healing. Our primary goal is to assist patients and their families in understanding and ultimately, overcoming illness.

Medical advances in radiation therapy are continually giving cancer patients new hope and treatment options. Stereotactic radiosurgery has been at the forefront of these advances by providing treatment that can often replace surgery with a single or a few high doses of radiation. In effect, it delivers surgery without a scalpel in the treatment of tumors and lesions of the brain and body.

Increased Accuracy

Atlanta Oncology Associates has been committed to the highest level of patient care since our founding in 1973. Today, we have more than thirty years of experience as a group delivering state-of-the-art radiation treatment. We have now moved further into this expanding medical science by bringing the technology of the LINAC Scalpel (stereotactic linear accelerator) to our patients.

The LINAC Scalpel involves technology upgrades currently in use in major cancer treatment centers across the United States. Adding this innovative therapy to our currently available treatment options has greatly increased our capability to provide services to more types of cancer patients and eliminate the need to refer them to other distant facilities. Patients can receive the highest quality of care, stay close to home and reduce the stress of treatment interruptions to their daily routines.

History of Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)

In conventional radiation therapy a beam of radiation is focused at an entire region. The radiation is fractionated into many small doses and given over a period of time that may be several weeks.

Unlike conventional therapy, SRS is a precise type of external beam radiation delivered in a single dose in a one-day session or occasionally over a few days. It is not surgery, yet it has the same desired effect which is to completely eradicate the tumor cells. The benefit over conventional therapy is that higher doses of radiation can be given to tumors and some benign lesions without a significant risk of damage to the surrounding normal tissue and structures.

This method of treatment was developed in the 1950’s to 1970’s allowing administration of previously undeliverable levels of radiation. It was initially developed for intracranial (brain) disorders as an alternative to neurosurgery.

Advances in this technology are continuing to bring about the invention of specialized radiosurgical instruments which are permitting expanded use into regions outside of the brain with increased accuracy. The LINAC Scalpel is the culmination of this improved technology and one of the most advanced instruments in this arsenal.

The LINAC Scalpel

Researchers working to refine the science of SRS developed the LINAC Scalpel as an enhanced and exacting radiation delivery system. This instrument, an attachment to the linear accelerator, administers hundreds of pencil-thin radiation beams. The intersection of these beams results in a high-target dose of radiation which is conformed to the individual patient’s tumor. This precision improves the outcome for eradication of the diseased area with very little of the radiation dose reaching normal tissue.

The LINAC’s ability to carefully place and shape the radiation dose allows the treatment of disorders and cancers in the brain and other body regions that are too difficult or dangerous to treat with conventional surgery.

Lesion Localization

The key to the LINAC’s effectiveness is localization of the lesion. This is accomplished by immobilizing the patient. In treatment to the brain, the patient’s head is held in place by a large, metal frame or by a precise, triangular video localization system that is anchored to the scalp with plastic or aluminum set pins, using local anesthesia. In treatment to other regions, the patient is placed into a body frame which molds to the patient’s body assuring minimal movement. MRI, CT and other scans as necessary are obtained to provide proper coordinates of the tumor size and location. Computers then create 3-D images which guide the radiation oncologists and surgeons in aiming radiation to the target area.

The beams are set in many different angles to best target the tumor or lesion.

Each treatment dose is carefully calculated in order to produce a customized radiation field.

Advantages to SRS with the LINAC Scalpel

• Eliminates or greatly reduces exposure of normal tissue to the radiation dose.
• Treatment is not invasive. No incision is made and general anesthesia is not required.
• Complications are reduced. Without incisions, the chance of infection or excessive bleeding is virtually eliminated.
• More tolerable for patients who are ill or advanced in age. The treatment is especially useful for these patients who are not good candidates for open surgery.
• Performed on an outpatient basis. With no hospital stay required, the patient can more quickly return to normal activities.

Types of Treatable Conditions

• Benign brain tumors
• Malignant brain tumors
• Arterio Venous Malformation (AVM) - abnormal collections of entangled blood vessels
• Recurring tumors at the base of the brain or skull
• Acoustic neuromas and meningiomas

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Determines When SRS is Appropriate?

A consultation must be scheduled with your physician or one of our radiation oncologists for a complete evaluation of your medical condition. Additional tests may be required.

What is Involved in the Treatment Process?

The patient is first put through a simulation process which may take place up to one week before treatment. The patient is immobilized, the necessary scans are administered and the patient is then released. At this point, treatment planning takes place. This part of the radiosurgery process, called dosimetry, is the most vital part of the treatment relying upon the expertise of the radiosurgical team. Once dose planning is complete a final verification or resimulation will be done with the patient on the day of treatment.

The total treatment time may take thirty minutes to several hours, depending on the size of the area to be treated and the necessary dosage. There is no recovery period and usually no long-term side effects. At the completion of the treatment, the patient is observed for a short period and is then allowed to return home the same day. Normal activities can usually be resumed the following day.

What are Possible Complications?

As in invasive surgery, complications are possible and are related to the risk of damage to adjacent, normal tissue. Our physicians will thoroughly explain these potential risks with the patient prior to the treatment procedure.

Is It Safe?

SRS is a complex process which requires a skilled team of radiation oncologists, physicists, dosimetrists and therapists. Our experienced team at Atlanta Oncology Associates has been well trained to insure that every safety measure is properly followed and that each patient receives the prescribed dose with the highest degree of accuracy.

Is it Effective?

SRS eradicates tumor cells by destroying their capacity to reproduce or by inducing the death of the tumor cells. It has been used worldwide to treat benign, malignant and metastatic tumors. Results have proven to be superior or comparable to conventional surgery.