At Penn Medicine, we have been performing laser surgery to destroy cancer cells for more than 20 years.
Today, Stereotactic Radiosurgery is a treatment that utilizes a large dose of radiation to destroy tumor tissue and although it's in the name, it doesn't actually involve any surgery.
This is a popular option for treating brain cancer because most nearby tissues aren't damaged by the procedure, there's no pain for the patient, very little noise, and no time that patients have to spend in confining spaces.
When our Neurosurgeons perform this treatment, they place the patient's head within a special frame, which is then attached to the patient's skull. They use this frame to precisely aim the high-dose radiation beams at the tumor. They can get the measurement down to the millimeter and can't have the patient's move their head or it can risk damaging other parts of the brain and body.
With advancements over the last few years, radiation can now also be used to treat arteriovenous malformations, trigeminal neuralgias, acoustic neuromas, and tremors. It can either be delivered by a Linear Accelerator, Gamma Knife, or Proton Beam Therapy.