Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Metastatic Brain Tumors
NYU Langone doctors may use Gamma Knife radiosurgery to manage small metastatic brain tumors. This is the most common form of treatment for people with brain metastases. A doctor evaluates your imaging studies and creates a customized treatment plan.
Gamma Knife radiosurgery doesn’t use a knife at all. It is a noninvasive and precise system for accurately delivering radiation to a tumor. It is the most established form of stereotactic radiosurgery, meaning it uses MRI or another type of high-resolution imaging to create a three-dimensional map of the part of the brain where the tumor is located.
Because of the precision required, people having this treatment wear a specially made head frame so the targeted spot doesn’t move during the procedure. Our doctors ensure that the frame is as comfortable as possible. Then, a computerized delivery system sends multiple radiation beams as a single, precisely targeted, high-dose treatment to the tumor.
NYU Langone doctors are highly experienced in this technique and can target a single tumor or several tumors in one session. A new tool allows doctors to administer doses to one or more areas of the brain while a person remains in his or her original treatment position. This makes the treatment quicker and more efficient.
Most people typically go home within an hour of the procedure and can resume their usual activities the day after treatment.
Our experts treat more than 450 people each year using Gamma Knife radiosurgery, making NYU Langone one of the most high-volume centers in the world.