Who is a good Gamma Knife candidate?

People with the following conditions tend to benefit the most from Gamma Knife radiosurgery:

• Small intracranial arteriovenous malformations (not greater than four centimeters)
• Metastatic brain lesions and other partially resected tumors
• Benign tumors, including acoustic neuromas, meningiomas and pituitary adenomas or craniopharyngiomas
• Tumors located at the base of the skull, brain stem or in the pineal region
• Advanced age or medical conditions place the patient at high risk for conventional surgery and anesthesia
• Other conditions deemed inoperable

The Gamma Knife procedure is also effective as an adjunctive therapy for lesions not completely removed by previous surgery and for tumors that reoccur after surgery or radiation therapy. Adjunct therapy candidates usually have:

• No more than four metastatic tumors per treatment
• Tumors that are four centimeters or smaller

Click here to learn more about the conditions that are treated with gamma knife.