Frameless radiosurgery for brain tumors

Stereotactic radiosurgery, or "surgery without the knife," involves destroying cancerous tissue with precisely targeted beams of radiation while preserving surrounding healthy brain tissue. Physicians take several steps to ensure that they hit the target precisely. Those steps include immobilizing the patient with a specially fitted mask.

Until recently, patients were immobilized with a stereotactic head frame, which was attached to the skull with surgically implanted pins. The rigid frame kept the patient still and also provided a reference for targeting the radiosurgery.

Mayfield physicians now know from their own research at the Precision Radiotherapy Center that they can target tumors with precision and effectiveness without the invasive head frame, which prolonged recovery time.

The frameless method involves fabricating a clamshell mask that precisely fits the patient. The mask is equipped with infrared fiducial reflectors to help monitor the patient during treatment. Scans are taken of the patient with the mask in place in preparation for treatment and immediately before treatment. With the patient aligned on the treatment couch, radiation is delivered in arcs that rotate around the target.