HJNO Mar/Apr 2019

50 MAR / APR 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of new orleans column ONCOLOGY Stereotactic Radiosurgery A team of cancer specialists use imag- ing software to fuse CT and MRI scans to customize a personalized SRS treatment plan. The radiation beams are precisely shaped to minimize radiation exposure to the healthy brain tissue and other adjacent critical structures. Once the physician re- views the 3D reconstruction of the tumor and the treatment plan, a series of quality tests and safetymeasures are performed to ensure an accurate and safe treatment. The Cancer Center of Thibodaux Re- gional offers SRS as part of our expanding state-of-the-art cancer care. The hospital recently purchased Brainlab Stereotactic Radiosurgery advanced imaging and treat- ment planning system, along with Varian Medical System’s advanced TrueBeam lin- ear accelerator, which delivers powerful cancer treatments with pinpoint accuracy. Brainlab Stereotactic Radiosurgery uti- lizes circular arc radiosurgery that rotates around the patient to accurately deliver treatment beams from virtually any angle. The resulting spherical dose distribution has proven to be very effective for many types of cancers, especially smaller and difficult to treat lesions. Sophisticated in- room navigation tools, image-guidance, and a robotic treatment couch guides patient setup and positioning. Brainlab’s ExacTrac Infrared Monitoring assists the physician in tracking the patient’s position throughout treatment delivery. This tech- nology would also allow for re-treatments if cancer re-occurs at another location within the brain. Compared to traditional whole brain irradiation, SRS is associated with reduc- tion in neurocognitive side effects such Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a non-invasive and pre- cise radiation therapy used to treat cancerous and non-can- cerous conditions of the brain such as: acoustic neuromas, arteriovenous malformations (AVM), brain metastases/ gliomas, cavernous angiomas, craniopharyngiomas, and tri- geminal neuralgia. Stereotactic radiosurgery delivers a high dose of radiation to the tumor in a single session by com- bining highly targeted beams of radiation with advanced imaging technology to ensure sub-millimeter accuracy. In addition to precision, SRS is a convenient, outpatient, and non-surgical procedure. Frameless radiosurgery offers a custom-fit mask, therefore, eliminating an invasive head ring and providing a more patient-friendly treatment expe- rience. Compared to surgery, SRS results in no surgical scar. Patients are not required to be under general anesthesia.