13the frstofELEKTAESPRITSYSTEMStryinthecounExpanding patients’ options withnew Gamma Knife®MUSC Hollings Cancer Center was one of the first threecenters in the country to begin using the Elekta EspritGamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) system,which provides a more comfortable experience for patientsand expands the types of diagnoses that can benefit fromthis technology.SRS uses gamma radiation to perform noninvasive“surgery” in the brain without the need for cuttinginstruments. Gamma Knife uses 192 beams of radiation —each harmless on its own — to convergeon a tumor. It can be used for any typeof cancer that has metastasized to thebrain, improving quality of life andmaking patients eligible for clinical trialsfor their primary cancer. It is also usedfor non-cancerous tumors and neurological conditions liketrigeminal neuralgia.Past versions of this technology required a head frame onthe patient. The Elekta Esprit can be used with a frame ora mask, depending on the individual treatment plan. Themask system means that some patients will be eligible forfractionated treatment, or a treatment plan that is brokenup into three or five sessions rather than one. This meansshorter, more comfortable sessions and less toxicity, as wellas improved treatment of larger tumors. The increasedflexibility of the Esprit system means that more patients willfind they are eligible for this treatment option.Our team of physicians and physicists helped bringradiosurgery to South Carolina more than 20 years ago. Asa joint partnership between the departments of RadiationMedicine and Neurosurgery, our Gamma Knife Centerperforms approximately 300 radiosurgeries per year and isone of the largest Gamma Knife facilities in the country.Our extensive experience results in better outcomes for ourpatients, and our team approach streamlines the processof evaluating each patient’s options so that the mostappropriate course of treatment can be initiated withoutunnecessary delay, confusion or anxiety. Options forout-of-town patients include initial consults via telehealthand follow-up MRIs at their home locations. This systemrepresents our continuing commitment to offer patients thelatest options in radiosurgery.Celebrating 30 Years17
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