Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an extremely precise form of radiation therapy that delivers a single high dose of precisely targeted radiation using highly focused gamma-ray or x-ray beams. They converge on the targeted area, minimizing the amount of radiation to surrounding healthy tissue.
Despite its name, SRS is not surgery but offers an important alternative to invasive surgery. It works in the same way as other forms of radiation treatment. SRS does not actually remove the tumor; rather, it damages the DNA of tumor cells. As a result, these cells lose their ability to reproduce.
For Lung Cancer
Oncology Hematology Care is one of only a few practices or facilities in Greater Cincinnati to offer SRS for appropriate patients with lung cancer using a new, state-of-the-art Elekta Synergy S linear accelerator at our Blue Ash Radiation office.
Patients with lung cancer may be candidates for SRS if:
· Only one or two nodules are present in the lungs
· Nodule size is less than 5 centimeters
· The nodule is not right next to a critical structure, such as the spinal cord or heart.
Patients undergoing SRS usually receive the same amount of radiation in three to five treatments that conventional radiation therapy patients would receive over six to seven weeks. SRS treatment begins with an hour-long planning session, followed by radiation sessions lasting 30 to 60 minutes.
Side effects generally are fewer than with traditional radiation. The most common problems are:
· Sore shoulders from patients holding their arms over their head during treatment
· A short flu-like syndrome
· Swelling or inflammation in the lungs (in about five percent of patients who receive SRS vs. up to 35 percent for patients receiving conventional radiation)
· Small incidence of rib fracture if the tumor is located adjacent to a rib
SRS offers a 90 to 95 percent chance of controlling the tumor when used on lung tumors.
For Brain Tumors
OHC radiation oncologists also use SRS in the brain, especially for tumors and blood vessel abnormalities located deep within or close to vital areas of the brain. SRS can treat many types of brain tumors: benign and malignant, primary and metastatic, and single or multiple. Sometimes SRS is performed after surgery to treat any residual tumor cells.
To treat brain tumors, our radiation oncologists use the facilities at University Hospital and The Christ Hospital.