Brain tumors will be treated without surgery

Radiatiosurgery destroys the DNA of the tumor cells, whereby the tumor can no longer spread and grow. This type of radiation therapy is commonly used in the treatment of brain tumors and is the only therapy for treatment of tumors which are located in inaccessible areasof the brain and cannot be removed with a surgical intervention, explains Dr. Petrova.

Patients with brain tumors which are located in inaccessible areasand which cannot be surgically removed for the first time in the country can be treated at Acibadem Sistina Hospital in Skopje, using sophisticated technology built into the linear accelerator TRILOGY. Up until today, patients were referred outside the country for this type of treatment.

Tumor cells don’t progress

Acibadem Sistina Hospital is the only hospital in Macedonia which has the possibility of stereotactic radiosurgery. Dr. Deva Petrova, who is an oncologist-radiotherapist in this institution, explains what radio surgery represents.

Stereotactic radiosurgery is a type of radiation therapy, which is very powerful and precise. Instead of treating the tumor repeatedly with low doses of radiation, the radiation surgery treats the tumor with a fraction of  high dose radiation.

The radiosurgery destroys the DNA of the tumor, wherein the tumor cells can no longer spread and grow. This type of radiation therapy is commonly used in the treatment of brain tumors. It is the only therapy for treatment of tumors which are located in inaccessible areas of the brain and which cannot be surgically removed. The radiosurgery also treats small brain tumors which are smaller than 3 centimeters. Radiosurgery is an alternative of the classical surgery. Besides brain tumors,  tumors located elsewhere in the body can be treated as well, explains Dr. Petrova.

She explains that the brain tumor is usually treated with one or more fractions, depending on the location and size of the tumor.

Therefore, we give a large dose of radiation, with maximum protection of the surrounding, healthy organs. Such treatment requires professionalism and competence of the team of oncologists and radiotherapists, as well as medical physicists. As a result of this, precise and focused radiation treatment of brain tumors is obtained, says Dr. Petrova.

In which cases is radiosurgery used?

The doctor determines which patient needs radiosurgery and this decision depends on the type, size and location of the tumor to be treated.

Radiosurgery is used in treatment of brain tumors that are located in inaccessible areas that cannot be surgically treated, as well as in the treatment of some benign changes of the brain, such as arteriovenous malformations. The results achieved by this treatment are identical to theneurosurgical treatment results. Small tumors can be treated with this technology using a single high-dose of radiation. Healthy tissues are protected from the side effects of radiation to the highest level. The patient comes, receives single therapy and can continue with normal everyday activities after the treatment. According to world statistics, the TRILOGY radiosurgery has great success in the treatment of patients treated with this method, adds Dr. Petrova.

The treatment lasts only a few minutes

The preparation for the treatment is the same as in normal radiotherapy. In order to carry out the treatment, the patient's head is immobilized with a thermoplastic cover, which provides a fixed position during treatment. Pre-treatment computed tomography of the head is performed at the same time and the localization of interest is marked.

Computer radiosurgery plan is formed, which contains determining the access points of the radiation beam, optimizing the required dose in that location, calculating the radiation dose in healthy organs that are located near the localization which is the goal of the radiosurgery, verification of the radiation plan before treatment, verification of the actual position of the patient and performing the radiosurgery.

During treatment, the TRILOGY accelerator rotates around the patient, delivering high doses of radiation in the area that is previously and accurately marked by the proper team of specialists, including a radiologist, an oncologist and a neurosurgeon.

The treatment lasts for a few minutes and along with the preparation of the patient not more than 30 minutes.

The advantage of radiosurgery is that it doesn’t have postoperative period of integration, special preparations and medical examinations,which are required before classic surgery.