Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Novalis Shaped Beam Surgery is a non-surgical outpatient treatment being used for a variety of cancerous and non-cancerous conditions of the brain, spine and vital organs throughout the body.

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The Revolution in Radiosurgery

Now there is new hope for treating what was thought to be untreatable:

The Radiosurgery Center at John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek Campus is the only place in Northern California to offer Novalis® Shaped Beam Surgery, an advanced, noninvasive treatment for cancerous and noncancerous tumors of the brain and spine that provides a higher degree of precision than was previously possible.

The beam is so precise that it's called "surgery" even though there are no incisions. An added benefit is that the procedure is virtually painless and is performed on an outpatient basis. The patient can usually be treated in the morning and be home the same day. "This technology changes what we think of as untreatable or inoperable," says Terence Chen, M.D., medical director of Neurosurgery at John Muir Health. "Unlike conventional treatments, the radiation can be focused to such a degree of accuracy that we can protect even the most fragile surrounding structures." Among the candidates for treatment, Chen says, are patients with benign or malignant tumors of the brain, head and neck, spine, lung, liver and prostate. Novalis Shaped Beam Surgery provides this technology using:

• Stereotactic Radiosurgery, to deliver high-energy radiation in a precise single dose to a tumor or lesion to shrink or control its growth. No incision is necessary.
• Stereotactic Radiotherapy to deliver smaller doses of radiation over several sessions, limiting damage to normal tissue while maximizing treatment effectiveness to abnormal cells. This is especially useful when abnormal cells are close to or within areas such as the spinal cord, optic nerve or brain stem.

"Novalis' beam-shaping device mirrors a tumor's contour and enables consistent doses of radiation for a wide range of conditions while protecting healthy tissue. Novalis offers the most advanced treatment available anywhere today, resulting in reduced side effects and a better quality of life for the patient," says Vincent Massullo, M.D., chair of Radiation Therapy at John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek Campus. "We're fortunate to be one of the few centers in the country to be able to offer this revolutionary technology to our patients."