Stereotactic Radiosurgery & Radiation Therapy

Houston Methodist’s neurosurgeons use the latest stereotactic radiosurgery and radiation therapy technologies to selectively attack brain tumors — even tumors previously considered untreatable.

 

Houston Methodist neurologists offer the most advanced stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and radiation therapies. These advanced treatments use focused beams of radiation — directed to the precise shape and location of the tumor — to shrink and eliminate the cancer while safely passing through healthy brain tissue.

 

Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, uses high-energy beams (X-rays or gamma rays, for example) to kill tumor cells and keep tumors from growing. Radiation can be targeted to reach the brain tumor without affecting other parts of the body, and may be used before, after or instead of surgery, depending on each patient’s situation. Some treatment plans will also include chemotherapy.

 

Brain Tumor Treatment and Procedures Menu

SRS often is a successful treatment option for patients with remaining lesions after brain surgery, or for those who have tumors in critical brain regions that cannot be safely accessed with conventional surgery. 

 

Highly efficient for primary and metastatic tumors, most patients can receive one-time SRS therapy or a short course of 3 to 5 treatmen  ts — instead of the usual 20 to 26 treatments — with fewer side effects than traditional radiation therapy. Advanced radiation therapy offers patients the potential for longer, higher quality lives.

Specialized Stereotactic Radiosurgery Equipment

Neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists at Houston Methodist Hospital Stereotactic Radiosurgery Program   use highly specialized stereotactic radiosurgery equipment, such as the Gamma Knife and Novalis®. 

Our surgeons use these leading-edge tools to create 3D maps of the brain, allowing them to administer higher doses of radiation with greater precision. That makes this noninvasive, nonsurgical treatment less toxic than previous brain tumor radiation treatments.

Types of Conditions Treated 

Houston Methodist specialists are experts at treating neurological conditions with SRS, such as:

 

  • Acoustic neuroma
  • Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs), Dural AV Fistulas
  • Brain metastases 
  • Functional disorders (movement disorders, e.g.)
  • Gliomas 
  • Meningiomas
  • Skull base tumors: Schwannoma, chordoma, glomus tumors, adenoid cystic carcinoma, primary skull base carcinoma, esthesioneuroblastoma
  • Trigeminal neuralgia
How Can We Help? For More Information or to Schedule an Appointment

International patients please learn more here or call 1.713.441.2340.

What to Expect from SRS and Radiotherapy

Innovations in Brain Tumor Research

By using special MRI scans made before the surgery, we can register a patient’s head in 3D space to the 3D virtual-reality world of the computer. Then by touching the area that we wish to operate in, we can see exactly where we are on a virtual-reality computer-generated picture. 

 

This technology allows us to navigate precisely to and through areas of the brain that would previously be inaccessible with an accuracy of approximately 1 mm.

 

 

Learn More About Brain Tumors
Patient education and community resources for brain tumor treatment and recovery.
 
Patient Success
Watch first-hand videos of life-changing care and patient success stories.
 

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