brain tumors: rush radiosurgery treatment overview

500 South Paulina Street Chicago, IL 60612 (312) 942-‐4600 www.rushradiosurgery.com 500 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612 (312) 942-‐4600 www.rushradiosurgery.com

A brain tumor diagnosis can be scary. Learn more about brain tumors and how we can help. Please note: We encourage consumers to thoroughly review and understand all treatment op8ons. The informa8on presented here is not all-‐inclusive. Rather, it represents a star8ng point to learn more about medical condi8ons and treatment op8ons. There is no subs,tute for consul,ng a medical professional.

500 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612 (312) 942-‐4600 www.rushradiosurgery.com

What is a brain tumor?

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells within the brain or the central spinal canal and can be cancerous or benign. Brain tumors, even malignant ones, are not necessarily fatal. However, any brain tumor should be considered a serious health condi;on. Brain tumors can be primary (origina;ng in the brain or spinal cord) or metastaLc (origina;ng in another part of the body and spreading to the brain).


•  Headaches •  Vomi;ng •  Vision problems •  Altered states of consciousness •  Impaired judgment •  Memory loss •  Lack of recogni;on •  Spa;al orienta;on disorders

•  An impaired sense of touch, hearing, vision or smell

•  Personality or emo;onal changes •  Weakness on one side of the body or

facial paralysis •  Speech and language impairment •  Abnormal fa;gue •  Tremors or epilep;c seizures

What are symptoms of a brain tumor?


•  AcousLc Neuroma: A benign, slow-‐growing tumor type, acous;c neuromas affect the seventh and eighth cranial nerves in a part of the brain known as the cerebellar-‐pon;ne angle.

•  Brain Metastases: A brain metastasis is a brain tumor that develops from cancer cells

that spread from another cancerous tumor in the body, usually through the bloodstream. •  Glioma: A glioma is a class of tumor that develops from glial cells in the brain that

support and protect neurons. Astrocytes, ependymal and oligodendroglial cells are all examples of glial cells. Includes: Astrocytoma, Glioblastoma Mul;forme, Glioma, Oligodendroglioma.

•  Meningioma: A benign tumor located on the brain surface rather than within brain

;ssue. •  Pituitary Adenoma: Located at the base of the skull, the pituitary gland serves as the

body’s control center for hormones. Pituitary adenomas are slow-‐growing, benign tumors within the gland.

What types of brain tumors exist?


How does TrueBeam STx treat brain tumors?

TrueBeam STx has the ability to treat acous;c neuromas, brain metastases, gliomas, meningiomas and pituitary adenoma using stereotac;c radiosurgery. This is a nonsurgical method of trea;ng tumors using a very precise, high dose of radia;on. During treatment, pa;ents lie on a table while the machine rotates around them, aiming radia;on beams directly at a tumor site. The treatment process includes: I.  Consulta;on appointment II.  Pretreatment procedures III.  TrueBeam STx treatment IV.  Follow-‐up


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP2MufO3Tgo

ConsultaLon and Pretreatment Procedures Rush Radiosurgery physicians, therapists and nurses are focused on your individualized plan for treatment: •  You will meet a Rush Radiosurgery radia;on oncologist to decide if TrueBeam STx treatment

is appropriate for your diagnosis. •  Your treatment team will decide which pretreatment procedures you may need to help

develop your treatment plan. These could include a CT scan, an MRI, laboratory studies or ;ssue markers.

•  The data from your pretreatment procedures will be used by the treatment team to

determine the exact size, shape and loca;on of your tumor.

•  This informa;on will indicate the size of the area being treated with radia;on, the radia;on dose and cri;cal structures where radia;on exposure should be minimized.


TrueBeam STx Treatment The accuracy of TrueBeam STx allows physicians to treat difficult-‐to-‐reach tumors that may have been impossible to treat in the past. Treatment involves one to five sessions, with a typical session las;ng about 15 minutes. 1.  Pa;ents are observed throughout the

treatment on closed-‐circuit television, and they can pause treatment at any ;me by waving or speaking to the technicians.

2.  During treatment, the machine rotates around the pa;ent to deliver radia;on from various angles. The radia;on beam is sculpted and shaped to match the three-‐dimensional shape of the tumor, helping protect nearby healthy ;ssue and cri;cal organs.

3.  Pa;ents can usually return to their normal

rou;nes once the treatment is complete.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION •  Treatment procedures take about 15 – 20

minutes, depending on the complexity of your tumor.

•  Pa;ents are asked to wear comfortable clothing during treatments. Jewelry is acceptable unless it is close to the area being treated.

•  Feel free to bring an iPod® or your favorite music CDs with you on the day of your treatment, and we will play them for you during the procedure.


AddiLonal Resources


Under the direction of medical director Dr. Aidnag Diaz, Rush Radiosurgery brings together experienced physicians and the latest medical advances to provide patients with exceptional care. Our cancer treatment facility opened in March 2012 on the campus of Rush University Medical Center. Our doctors are board-certified in radiation oncology and have several areas of specialty including head and neck cancers, brain tumors, prostate cancer and lung cancer. Rush Radiosurgery uses an advanced technology, TrueBeam STx®, to treat various cancers with stereotactic radiosurgery, a noninvasive method of treating tumors and other medical conditions with very precise, high-dose radiation. TrueBeam STx has the ability to “shape” the radiation beams it delivers to match the three-dimensional shape of a patient’s tumor, helping protect nearby healthy tissue and critical organs. By delivering targeted, high-dose radiation beams, TrueBeam STx also significantly reduces treatment time.

Medical Director: Dr. Aidnag Diaz TrueBeam STx Nurse: Debbie Gonzalez

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brain tumors: rush radiosurgery treatment overview

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