Radiosurgery

Among a wide variety of cancer treatment protocols at Beaumont Hospitals is radiosurgery, a noninvasive treatment method that uses highly focused radiation beams to attack a tumor while sparing the surrounding tissue.

Stereotactic radiosurgery is a highly successful cancer treatment alternative to traditional surgery. During this outpatient procedure, patients receive treatment for one to five days. Because it is noninvasive, there is less risk of complications. Used to treat cancers of the brain and body sites, including the lungs, liver, adrenal gland, kidney, spine, breast, and prostate, stereotactic radiosurgery has demonstrated effectiveness for treating newly diagnosed and recurrent cancers. Beaumont also uses Gamma Knife.

Historically, patients with a solitary lung or liver metastasis, for example, would have open surgery to remove the tumor. This requires several days of inpatient recovery.  Radiosurgery, a noninvasive outpatient procedure, eliminates the stress and lengthy recovery of open surgery.