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Brain Cancer
Sentara employs board-certified neurosurgeons and a dedicated radiation oncologist to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer. In order to share information and maximize treatment for brain cancer patients, Sentara clinicians participate in a monthly multidisciplinary planning tumor conference as well as research studies coordinated through cooperative group trials.
Sentara offers a specialized outpatient procedure called Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) to treat brain disorders with a precise delivery of a single, high dose of radiation in a one-day session. Focused radiation beams are delivered to a specific area of the brain to treat abnormalities, tumors or functional disorders and thus minimizing the effect on surrounding healthy cells.
Stereotactic radiosurgery is a state-of-the-art procedure that involves delivering a single, high dose of radiation directly to the tumor in the form of an arc. While more traditional methods of radiation therapy treat the entire brain with a uniform dose, stereotactic radiosurgery targets the tumor with a high dose while reducing substantially the dosage received by normal brain tissue. If a tumor is located in or near a critical structure of the brain, this treatment is delivered in small, daily doses over several weeks and is then referred to as stereotactic radiation therapy.
Neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists work closely together in delivering these treatments. Clinical studies have shown that stereotactic radiosurgery results in improvement and control of certain tumors of the brain compared to other, more traditional methods of radiation treatment. In addition to brain tumors, stereotactic radiosurgery has been used successfully in treating other conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease.
For more information on brain cancer and its treatment, visit the National Cancer Insitute Web site.
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