Example Brain Metastases (Dr. Helenowski Experience)
This patient had a nasopharyngeal cancer removed with surgery through the face and craniotomy. Radiation and chemotherapy were used to treat any remaining tumor.
Image 1 - Some tumor later traveled to the brain and the patient developed the brain metastasis circled in red. Since she had received what was felt to be the maximum allowed amount of radiation to this area of the brain and further open surgery was not advised because of the recent surgery and radiation, the tumor was treated with radiosurgery.
Image 2 - One month later the lesion was not seen on follow up CT scan of the brain. (This type of fast radiographically complete response is very rare, but most metastatic tumors treated directly with radiosurgery respond well.)
Image 3 - The patient later developed another brain metastasis in another part of the brain. Because of the way the first tumor responded to radiosurgery, she only accepted radiosurgery for treatment of the second lesion.
Image 4 - A few months later, the second lesion was also well controlled. The lesion was much smaller than at the time of treatment in Image 3. This appearance is common after treatment. The lesion usually does not go away completely after radiosurgery, but appears as an area of increased signal or enhancement (white on the scan) which no longer grows on follow up scans. Most likely, the pictures show scar tissue left behind as the tumor dies and is eliminated by the body.
This case is presented as an example only of what has been achieved with radiosurgery by Dr. Helenowski. Each case is different and there are no guarantees that patients with similar appearing tumors will have exactly the same response even if treated the same.
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Stereotactic Radiosurgery Institute