While radiation therapy is one of the most common treatments for brain and spine cancer, at AdventHealth Cancer Institute, we do it with uncommon expertise, guidance, and compassion. Using some of the most sophisticated radiation technology, like the Gamma Knife®, we can target tumors in and around your brain and spine with amazing precision, easing your pain and leaving healthy tissue untouched. Depending on your diagnosis, your team may recommend radiation alone, or in some cases, combine it with surgery and chemotherapy.

How Does Radiation Therapy Work?

Radiation therapy targets specific areas of the body, shrinking tumors and killing cancer cells by damaging their DNA.

When treating brain tumors, our radiology team may recommend Gamma Knife® radiosurgery, the most technologically advanced, non-invasive procedure that’s not offered at any other hospital in Central Florida. Using this innovative method, we can precisely target the tumor, deliver tumor-shrinking treatment, and have you home all on the same day.

For spinal tumors that have metastasized, your team can use radiation therapy in two ways:

• External radiation, which delivers radiation in a concentrated beam to keep nearby healthy tissue unaffected.

• Internal radiation guided by ultrasound keeps healthy nearby tissue safer.

Throughout your treatment, your nurses and your radiation oncology care team are there to keep you and your support system informed, comfortable, and uplifted.

If surgery is part of your treatment plan, it’s reassuring to know that your health is in the hands of recognized leaders in brain and spine cancer care. Specialized brain and spine surgeons across our network help patients heal every single day through innovative surgical procedures.

Options for Surgery

Surgery can be a promising step forward on your path to healing, and it’s often the preferred course of treatment, depending on your diagnosis. Your dedicated team of brain and spine cancer specialists will review every detail of your medical history and recent tests to recommend the strongest, most effective treatment plan for you. For benign tumors, surgery will likely be the only treatment you need, but in case of malignant tumors, your team may recommend pairing a surgical procedure with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

Some brain cancer surgeries include:

• Minimally-invasive brain surgery, the best option for fast healing times and precise treatments. We have a number of 3D imaging tools and microscopes for the clearest visuals and best results.

• Skull base surgery works to carefully remove complex tumors with open surgery or specialized, minimally-invasive tools.

• Debulking is a strategy to remove only part of tricky tumors and reduce the size, making sure to leave the surrounding tissue untouched.

Once upon a time, tumors in the spine were considered untreatable. Today, using innovative new techniques and tools like high-powered microscopes and imaging, our neurosurgeons are able to access difficult- to-reach tumors with skillful precision, all while leaving healthy tissue as undisturbed as possible.