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How Stereotactic Radiosurgery Works

The Varian TrueBeam Radiotherapy® system uses image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) to deliver precise doses of radiation with exceptional accuracy and speed, making it an important treatment alternative to invasive surgery. This provides a multitude of benefits, especially for patients who are unable to undergo surgery and for tumors that are hard to reach, near vital organs or subject to movement within the body.

Three-dimensional CT imaging is first used to locate the tumor within the body and define its exact size and shape. These images help doctors plan the treatment — in which beams of radiation converge on the tumor from different angles and planes — as well as the careful positioning of the patient for therapy sessions. Because the TrueBeam system delivers radiation four times faster and with greater precision than older systems, treatment can be completed in as few as one to five sessions.

Stereotactic radiosurgery doesn't actually remove the tumor; instead, it damages the DNA of tumor cells. As a result, these cells lose the ability to reproduce. Following the treatment, malignant tumors shrink over a period of about two months.

Read about one patient's experience: Pinpoint Accuracy, Targeted Treatment: Radiosurgery Delivers Hope for Cancer Survival

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