What is Shaped Beam Radiosurgery? Chapter 10 — Brain Metastases: A Documentary

Описание: This chapter describes how radiation beams are "shaped" during radiosurgery.

Watch the entire documentary from the beginning here:    • Brain Metastases: A Documentary | How Brai...  

Not all tumors are completely round. A circular radiation beam may not be the best shape to treat an irregularly shaped tumor. To fit the shape of the beam to the shape of the tumor, a multileaf collimator (MLC) is used. The MLC is attached to the linear accelerator (linac) where the radiation comes out.

Since radiation can't be steered with a magnet or pointed with a lens, it must be blocked to shape it. An MLC is made up of lots of metal sheets (called "leaves") that can move to create the right shape for the radiation to pass through.

The leaves are moved to match the outline of the tumor. As the linac moves around the patient, the leaves move as well to adjust to the tumor shape from every angle.

Matching the MLC to the exact tumor shape means that less healthy tissue around the tumor gets irradiated.


Interested in learning more? See our other chapters below that address many questions regarding brain metastases:

What are brain metastases?    • What are Brain Metastases? Chapter 1 — Bra...  

How do brain metastases develop and what causes them?    • What Causes Brain Metastases? Chapter 2 — ...  

What are the possible treatment options for brain metastases?    • Is Chemotherapy Effective for Brain Metast...  

What is Whole Brain Radiation Therapy (WBRT) and how is it used to treat brain metastases?    • What is Whole Brain Radiation Therapy (WBR...  

What is stereotactic radiosurgery?    • What is Stereotactic Radiosurgery? Chapter...  

What is the Gamma Knife?    • What is the Gamma Knife? Chapter 6 — Brain...  

What is a linear accelerator and how does it work?    • What is a Linear Accelerator? Chapter 7 — ...  

Frame-based vs. frameless radiosurgery. What’s the difference and how does it impact the patient and treatment?    • How are Patients Immobilized During Radiat...  

How does Cyberknife technology treat brain tumors?    • What is the CyberKnife? Chapter 9 — Brain ...  

What if a patient has more than one brain metastases? How are they treated?    • Can Multiple Tumors Be Treated at the Same...  

Some radiosurgery treatments can be completed in just one visit. Why are multiple treatments (known as fractions) sometimes necessary?    • When is Radiosurgery Performed More than O...  

If it can harm the patient, why is Whole Brain Radiation Therapy (WBRT) still done?    • Why is Whole Brain Radiation Therapy Still...  

What does “Cancer is being treated as a chronic illness" mean? How do brain metastases patients maintain their quality of life?    • What Happens After Radiosurgery? Chapter 1...  

Why is surgery sometimes necessary to treat brain metastases?    • When is Surgery Recommended? Chapter 15 — ...  

How do I choose the best care team for treating my brain metastases?    • How to Choose the Best Radiosurgery Treatm...  

What is the future outlook a brain metastases diagnosis?    • What is the Future of Brain Metastases Tre...