BRAIN AND SPINE TUMORS

The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine offers an integrated approach involving radiation therapy, radiosurgery, neurosurgery, and chemotherapy for the treatment of benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) brain and spine  tumors. A number of innovative clinical studies are being conducted on selected types of tumors, including anaplastic astrocytoma, central nervous system lymphoma, glioblastoma multiforme, and brain metastases.

Leksell GammaKnife

The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital (JMH) complex is one of the sites in the country using the Leksell GammaKnife, which delivers focused radiation from 201 Cobalt sources to target small lesions in the brain. The treatment is performed in one day under local anesthesia with or without light sedation. The procedure has few complications and enables patients to avoid open brain surgery or a blood transfusion. Patients return home the day after the procedure. Many types of brain tumors, including malignant brain tumors, metastases, acoustic neuromas, and meningiomas, can be treated by this method. It is also excellent for other types of brain problems, such as arteriovenous malformations and trigeminal neuralgia.

CyberKnife

The Department of Radiation Oncology’s faculty has been trained in the use of the Accuray® CyberKnife. This technology can be used to provide radiosurgery treatment to brain, spine, and tumors in various other parts of the body.

Technological advances have been changing the field of radiation therapy. Most recently, we have acquired the technology for treating brain and spine tumors by the RapidArc® technique of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which reduces the daily treatment time and, coupled with Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), increases precision of treatment.