Radiation Treatment Los Angeles | External Radiation Therapy

Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery Or Radiotherapy (SBRT)

Stereotactic body radiosurgery is the use of high doses of radiation delivered to tumors in the liver, lung and spine in a single dose or in a limited number of treatments (2-5 doses). At Beverly Hills Cancer Center, our experts use the Cyberknife, pictured above, to deliver these extremely specific, high burst doses of radiation at our Los Angeles treatment facility.

How does SBRT work?

Patients are secured with an immobilization device during the treatment to minimize movement during the treatment. Other specific technologies such as respiratory gating and 4D CT may be used during these treatments since the tumor can move during the treatment.

SBRT is commonly used for the following conditions:

Small sized lung cancers
Cancers located in the lung from tumors that started elsewhere (lung metastases)
Liver cancers that started outside the liver (liver metastases)
Tumors in the spine
Very small tumors in the chest, abdomen, or pelvis that cannot be removed surgically or treated with conventional radiation therapy.

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Examples Of Successful SBRT

Cyberknife Radiation Los Angeles

SBRT for treatment of liver tumors

This is a patient who had a diagnosis of lung cancer who was found to have involvement of the liver (green).

The tumor target volume (red), was treated with SBRT in 5 sessions while safely limiting radiation dose to the normal tissues right next to the tumor such as small bowel (yellow) and both kidneys (blue and magenta).

The patient tolerated the radiation very well without any complications or side effects. Repeat MRI of the liver and PET/CT scan three months later showed near complete resolution of the tumor. The patient's tumor markers also returned back to normal levels.

SBRT Treatment Los Angeles

SBRT treatment of a spinal tumor

This patient had melanoma (skin cancer) that spread to the spine. The patient underwent surgery to remove the tumor. He was then treated with SBRT to sterilize the tumor bed and help prevent recurrence of the tumor.

SBRT was used to maximize the radiation dose to the treatment area (red) while protecting the normal tissues nearby such as spinal cord (yellow), esophagus (green), the liver, spleen, kidneys and right and left lungs.

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Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) Or Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT) Of The Brain

Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) or Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT) is the use of high doses of radiation delivered to an extremely small volume within the brain. The treatment typically lasts longer than a normal treatment; however, it is delivered between one to five fractions or sessions and is best for very small tumors.

Beverly Hills Cancer Center radiation oncologists use very specialized imaging equipment to pinpoint exactly where the cancer cells are. They monitor the area of the cancer and other organs on a screen while treatment is taking place.

A customized holder may be used to keep the area to be treated perfectly still during treatment. Combining the specialized imaging and the custom holder allows doctors to give a high dose of radiation to the tumor in a short amount of time.

SRT is commonly used for the following conditions:

Cancers that spread to the brain (brain metastases) from tumors originating in other parts of the body.
Cancers that start in the brain (gliomas and other brain tumors).
Benign tumors that arise from the lining of the brain (meningiomas or acoustic neuromas).
Cancers in the brain that already received radiation previously and surgery is not an option.

SRT may be useful for other cancers not readily addressed with surgery or conventional radiation therapy. Patients with tumors that are small and few in number are the best candidates for SRT. Your radiation oncologist can tell you whether SRT is an option for your specific condition as new research continues to broaden the use of this technology.

Examples Of Successful SRT

Stereotactic Radiation Therapy Los Angeles

Stereotactic radiation treatment for brain metastases

This patient is a 47 year old female with a history of lung cancer who was found to have 6 brain metastases (various colors) from her tumor in the lung.

She was treated with stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) to each of the 6 brain tumors individually. By using SRT directed at each separate tumor nodule, we were able to avoid giving radiation therapy to the whole brain.

Stereotactic Radiation Therapy Los Angeles

Stereotactic radiation treatment for brain metastases

This patient is 83 year old female with a meningioma of the right cerebellum.

The tumor is outlined in red and is in close proximity to the brain stem (blue). She did not want to have surgery and was therefore treated with stereotactic radiation therapy in 5 sessions.

She tolerated the radiation treatments very well without any complications. MRI of the brain 6 months after treatment did not show any tumor growth.

High Dose External Radiation Therapy

Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery Or Radiotherapy (SBRT)

How does SBRT work?

Examples Of Successful SBRT

SBRT for treatment of liver tumors

SBRT treatment of a spinal tumor

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Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) Or Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT) Of The Brain

Examples Of Successful SRT

Stereotactic radiation treatment for brain metastases

Stereotactic radiation treatment for brain metastases

Schedule a Consultation

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