Hollings Annual Report 2023 FINAL - Flipbook - Page 19
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the frst
of
ELEKTA
ESPRIT
SYSTEMS
tr
y
in
the
coun
Expanding patients’ options with
new Gamma Knife®
MUSC Hollings Cancer Center was one of the first three
centers in the country to begin using the Elekta Esprit
Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) system,
which provides a more comfortable experience for patients
and expands the types of diagnoses that can benefit from
this technology.
SRS uses gamma radiation to perform noninvasive
“surgery” in the brain without the need for cutting
instruments. Gamma Knife uses 192 beams of radiation —
each harmless on its own — to converge
on a tumor. It can be used for any type
of cancer that has metastasized to the
brain, improving quality of life and
making patients eligible for clinical trials
for their primary cancer. It is also used
for non-cancerous tumors and neurological conditions like
trigeminal neuralgia.
Past versions of this technology required a head frame on
the patient. The Elekta Esprit can be used with a frame or
a mask, depending on the individual treatment plan. The
mask system means that some patients will be eligible for
fractionated treatment, or a treatment plan that is broken
up into three or five sessions rather than one. This means
shorter, more comfortable sessions and less toxicity, as well
as improved treatment of larger tumors. The increased
flexibility of the Esprit system means that more patients will
find they are eligible for this treatment option.
Our team of physicians and physicists helped bring
radiosurgery to South Carolina more than 20 years ago. As
a joint partnership between the departments of Radiation
Medicine and Neurosurgery, our Gamma Knife Center
performs approximately 300 radiosurgeries per year and is
one of the largest Gamma Knife facilities in the country.
Our extensive experience results in better outcomes for our
patients, and our team approach streamlines the process
of evaluating each patient’s options so that the most
appropriate course of treatment can be initiated without
unnecessary delay, confusion or anxiety. Options for
out-of-town patients include initial consults via telehealth
and follow-up MRIs at their home locations. This system
represents our continuing commitment to offer patients the
latest options in radiosurgery.
Celebrating 30 Years
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