Acoustic Neuroma Gamma Knife Results

An acoustic neuroma is a type of brain tumor for which surgery was once the only treatment. In the 1960s, a machine called the Gamma Knife was invented, and since then, has been used to treat more than 10,000 acoustic neuroma patients.

Identification

• An acoustic neuroma is an intracranial brain tumor. This type of tumor is generally benign, or non-cancerous, and typically grows very slowly. Approximately six percent of all intracranial brain tumors are acoustic neuromas.

Gamma Knife Therapy

• A Gamma knife is a sophisticated surgical instrument comprised of 201 intersecting beams of gamma radiation. The beams deliver a precise dose of radiation to a specific area of the brain. According to the Mayo Clinic, the doctor or surgeon will use imaging scans to pinpoint exactly where to apply the radiation beams. The surrounding brain tissue is not damaged because the radiation is concentrated specifically on the tumor.

Results

• Information on the International RadioSurgery Association website states that the use of Gamma Knife surgery typically achieves satisfactory results. In a review of 850 acoustic neuroma patients that received this therapy, 95 percent evidenced shrinkage, or cessation of new growth. Typical results after one year confirmed shrinkage in approximately a third of the tumors. The results after four years showed two thirds of the tumors had decreased in size, and results after 10 years indicated shrinkage in about 90 percent of the tumors.