GALVESTON, Texas - A specialized form of concentrated radiation therapy using high-energy photon beams to destroy tumor cells with surgical precision, but without a surgical scalpel, is a new treatment option for patients at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. UTMB is one of only three medical centers in the state to offer this advanced treatment, which is used to treat cancer and other conditions.
Developed in Germany, the Novalis shaped-beam radiosurgery device delivers precision radiation therapy that conforms to the shape of a tumor with millimeter accuracy, irradiating the entire tumor while protecting surrounding healthy tissue. The shaped beams of high-energy radiation deliver a precise treatment designed to shrink or control the growth of a tumor by killing cancer cells or interfering with their ability to grow.
This technology integrates advanced imaging and targeting software with photon beam delivery to create greater accuracy and less risk to the patient.
"This is a major upgrade of our technology," said Dr. Haring J.W. Nauta, chief of UTMB's Division of Neurosurgery.
"Our neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists have been performing stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with brain tumors and arteriovenous malformations (irregular blood vessels in the brain) for 15 years; we have continually upgraded our capabilities to offer the best possible treatment and the most current technology to our patients," Nauta said.
Nauta said that many patients who are treated will be able to spend the evening at home and can get back to their daily routines quickly.
Dr. Martin Colman, chairman of UTMB's Department of Radiation Oncology and a member of UTMB's Cancer Center, said, "It's an effective way to treat small lesions in the brain, and can be used for tumors in other parts of the body that are difficult to reach." The UTMB team has been using the Novalis device for brain tumors since September, and plans to expand its use for liver, lung, and abdominal tumors in the future.
"This method has proven to be especially effective for people with tumors of the brain, and can be used for tumors of the spine, lung, liver, and prostate," Colman said. "It is non-invasive, painless and it eliminates some of the risks associated with major surgery."
The radiosurgery equipment, which integrates imaging and targeting software, is located in UTMB's McCullough Building. Funding for the new program was provided by The Sealy & Smith Foundation, which has for eight decades played a pivotal role in UTMB's growth and progress through more than $500 million in philanthropic support.
For more information about UTMB's Novalis technology, please call (409) 772-2222. For additional information on other advanced treatment programs available for patients with cancer, contact radiation oncology, UTMB Cancer Center, at (409) 772-6723.