Brain cancer awareness month is an opportunity to focus on treatment options available to patients with brain tumours and the success of stereotactic radiosurgery using a Gamma Knife as a treatment modality.
Radiation Oncologist Dr Yastira Ramdas says, “Brain tumour treatment depends on the type of tumour, its size and location. Different types of technology are used in radiosurgery such as a Gamma Knife or linear accelerator.
“Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a precise form of radiation therapy that focuses intense beams of gamma rays with pin-point accuracy to treat lesions in the brain. Radiosurgery damages/destroys the DNA of tumour cells so they cannot reproduce or grow.”
The Gamma Knife at Netcare’s Milpark Hospital is home to the Leksell Gamma Knife Icon, the latest Gamma Knife system. Dr Ramdas says, “Although other radiosurgery systems are available neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists use the Leksell Gamma Knife Icon because it’s designed specifically to treat lesions in the brain. It has the greatest accuracy of any radiosurgery system and a superior ability to spare healthy tissue compared to other systems.”
Dr Chris Jordaan is also a radiation oncologist who treats patients at the Gamma Knife South Africa unit at Milpark Hospital. As part of brain cancer awareness month, Dr Jordaan shared his insights on the treatment of brain tumours using Gamma Knife Radiosurgery. Here is the interview:
