Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) are advanced forms of radiation therapy where high doses of radiation are delivered to small targets within the brain. SRS and SRT are noninvasive procedures that require no anesthetic or incisions.
SRS and SRT offer a technique that allows the area needing treatment to receive a maximum dose of radiation while minimising the dose to the surrounding healthy brain tissue. SRS is usually delivered in one treatment. SRT is usually delivered over several treatments.
What are SRS and SRT used for?
SRS and SRT are used for very small lesions in the brain. The brain lesions treated may be malignant (cancerous) or benign (not cancerous). SRS and SRT are used for both primary brain cancers (cancers originating in the brain) and for secondary brain cancers (cancers spread from elsewhere in the body).
What do SRS and SRT mean for you?
SRS and SRT employ the latest in treatment technology coupled with the use of sophisticated x-ray imaging to enable sub-millimetre accuracy. To help you keep very still during treatment, a special head frame is used to maintain your position exactly as required. SRS is delivered in one single session and generally lasts less than an hour. SRT is delivered in multiple treatments and takes approximately 30 minutes each time.
The SRS and SRT team
SRS and SRT are planned and delivered at our Peter Mac radiation therapy Melbourne site.
A team of specialists are required to plan and deliver SRS including radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists, alongside your neurology specialists. You will also be supported by a range of other professionals including nurses and allied health practitioners. Peter Mac has a long history of treating SRS, and our experience is extensive. We use a highly sophisticated treatment machine incorporating the latest technology so we can offer our patients the best possible care.
Please speak with your doctor to determine if SRS and SRT are appropriate treatments for you.
