Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center bringing new Gamma Knife Icon technology to Gulf South
(Baton Rouge, La.) Gulf South residents will soon have access to the most precise and versatile device available in the market to treat brain tumors and many benign (non-cancerous) conditions of the head. The Cancer Center is announcing today it will be the first in the Gulf South and one of only a handful American institutions to offer the new Leksell Gamma Knife® Icon™ stereotactic radiosurgery system. This noninvasive and revolutionary technology will be installed this fall for the treatment of primary brain tumors, brain metastases and other central nervous system conditions.
“Gamma Knife Icon gives us a new, powerful tool for treating brain cancer; its precision is unparalleled and will allow us to more effectively target tumors and protect critical structures within the brain,” said Renee Levine, M.D., radiation oncologist, Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center. “With the ability to treat more tumors in a timelier, more effective way, the use of whole brain radiotherapy will be further reduced.”
Previously, similar treatments took a majority of the day to complete and included the surgical attachment of a rigid frame to the patient’s skull to ensure accuracy. With the Gamma Knife Icon, in most cases, no frame is required due to the device’s onboard CT imaging system and pinpoint image fusion and motion tracking technologies. The treatment is noninvasive with no incision, pain, lengthy recovery time or hospital stay. It can sometimes serve as an effective alternative to surgery, and for certain indications, may replace conventional radiation therapy. Gamma Knife Icon radiosurgery typically requires only a one-time treatment, but can be used more than once for patients with brain metastases.
“Gamma Knife Icon is the best option for many patients; it gives them another choice—one that can enhance their outcome,” said Kelly Scrantz, M.D., neurosurgeon, NeuroMedical Center. It also offers greater comfort for patients due to its frameless and swift treatment approach. Before, frames had to be affixed to a patient’s head for treatment. A frameless option makes for a more pleasant experience.”
Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a potential treatment option for the following conditions:
- Metastatic brain tumors and lesions arising from primary tumors of the breast, uterus, kidney, colon, skin (melanoma) or other organs
- Brain tumors, malignant and benign
- Acoustic neuroma, trigeminal neuralgia and other neurological disorders
- Vascular malformations
The ability to harness the tremendous capabilities of such a sophisticated treatment system, such as Gamma Knife Icon, is in large part due to the Cancer Center’s nationally-recognized medical physics program, a component of the long-standing Mary Bird Perkins – LSU Academic and Research Partnership. This collaboration provides a level of scientific ingenuity to radiation therapy that enhances patient care.
Linda Lee, administrator, Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center, said the Gamma Knife Icon technology will offer patients a level of care found at few other cancer centers across the country. Currently, Gamma Knife Icon is only available at three facilities in the U.S., including Sutter Medical Center (Sacramento, CA), Roswell Park Cancer Institute (Buffalo, NY) and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, (Pittsburgh, PA).
“Today, nearly 700,000 people in the U.S. alone are living with primary brain and central nervous system tumors,” said Lee. “Gamma Knife Icon safely and succinctly provides a non-surgical method for treating brain cancer and associated diseases; it’s is the premier technology on the market today. And when you group the best treatment equipment with the world-class expertise of the Cancer Center’s medical staff, it’s something that will make a difference in many patients—and families—lives. ”
For more information on Gamma Knife Icon, visit mbpolol.org/gammaknife.
As a regional destination for cancer care, Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center offers the most advanced technology and services provided by a dedicated team of nationally-recognized oncology experts. The Cancer Center provides best-practice, comprehensive care at every stage of the cancer journey, including disease site-specific multidisciplinary care teams, a robust clinical research program and extensive supportive care services. As a nonprofit organization, donor generosity is essential to sustaining the mission of improving survivorship and lessening the burden of cancer for so many throughout Southeast Louisiana and beyond. For more information on the Cancer Center, and how you can become involved, please visit mbpolol.org.