Radiosurgery is neither invasive nor is it surgery. The name “radiosurgery” is a misnomer. Radiosurgery is actually a well-focused radiation treatment using multiple, finely contoured beams from many different angles — all directed toward the cancer. The appeal of radiosurgery is precision; it is delivered with such control that radiation exposure to normal, healthy tissue is minimized. This is all done non-invasively — without pins, screws, anesthesia, or sedation.

Though stereotactic radiosurgery is not for everyone (Dr. Lederman declines to treat one-half of all potential patients who apply), it has great appeal for selected patients. If you are investigating radiosurgery for yourself or a member of your family, please contact Dr. Lederman today to find out more about the treatment

• What Does Radiosurgery Treat?
• What is Fractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery?
• How Does Fractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery Differ from Standard Radiation?

What Does Radiosurgery Treat?

Radiosurgery offers the possibility of treatment for cancers as diverse as benign and malignant tumors of the brain and cancers of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, including those of the lung, mediastinum, lymph nodes, liver, pancreas, kidney, gynecologic, and urologic (prostate) sites. Radiosurgery may also be an option for patients seeking re-treatment after radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery when these treatment options fail to deliver the desired results.

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What is Fractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery?

Radiosurgery has been performed for the treatment of brain tumors for decades. Dr. Lederman is one of several doctors who have led the way with the refined development of a non-invasive technique called fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of benign and malignant tumors.

Fractionated stereosurgery is symbolic of an advanced age of medical science in which patients with tumors once considered impossible or difficult to treat can receive highly focused outpatient therapy. The primary difference between standard radiation and fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery is that standard radiation must, because of less precision, radiate large amounts of normal healthy tissue, compared with fractionated radiosurgery, which focuses directly on the tumor. Fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery represents the opposite end of the spectrum from standard radiation — focused directed radiation with prescribed doses of treatment. Because the dose is divided into several portions, the technique is safer and easier to tolerate.

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How Does Fractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery Differ from Standard Radiation?

Radiation oncologists believe that higher doses of radiation are more beneficial in curing cancer, in general, than lower doses. However, higher doses cannot be given freely. Essentially, all tumors are surrounded by normal tissue. It is this tissue that limits the amount of radiation that can be safely administered.

With fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery, Dr. Lederman has the ability to fractionate, or divide, the dose of radiation with the goal of “controlling” the cancer. In the field of stereotactic fractionated radiosurgery, controlling a cancer means that the cancer outlined and targeted for treatment stops growing, shrinks, or disappears. Fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery allows for more intense treatments locally. Smaller fields of radiation means healthy tissues receive less radiation, and higher doses per fraction means, in general, fewer treatments with higher control rates. This is true for benign tumors such as acoustic neuromas, meningiomas, and pituitary tumors, as well as malignancies.

To learn more about treatment with fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery, please visit our treatment options page. If you would like any further information, contact Dr. Lederman today.

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