Novalis™ Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Novalis™ radiosurgery is one of the most precise, non-invasive radiosurgery treatments available for cancerous and non-cancerous conditions of the entire body, Novalis™ radiosurgery shaped-beam technology dynamically conforms the treatment beam to even the most complex lesions, protecting surrounding healthy tissue. Advanced imaging, treatment planning and delivery technologies maximize throughput and provide flexibility in treatment protocols. Novalis™ radiosurgery treatment lasts just minutes, making it the benchmark in patient comfort. Other radiosurgery devices utilize circular beams to treat. As most lesions are irregular in shape, a circular dose does not completely cover the exact shape of the tumor. The Novalis™ radiosurgery platform precisely shapes the radiation beam to the shape of the tumor or lesion, ensuring the optimal treatment dose is delivered and protecting healthy tissue. The targeted beam adapts to your breathing and other body movements to continuously maintain safe, complete and accurate treatment. The machine’s rotating arm, known as a linear accelerator, makes it possible to radiate tumors from various angles and delivers a higher dose of radiation than any other machine, providing treatment for tumors once thought to be untreatable.
Stereotactic radiotherapy permits the administration of the same amount of radiation (or higher) as conventional radiosurgery, but it is applied in smaller doses in a series of daily treatments (divided dose). The division of the dose favors the repair of the healthy tissue near the lesion, particularly in critical structures such as the optic canal or the brain trunk.
The following is a typical example of treatment with Novalis® radiosurgery
STEP 1: APPLICATION OF THE FACE MASK SOURCE: ©2010 BrainLAB AG For more information, please visit: www.novalistxradiosurgery.com
For treatment of cranial conditions, a non-invasive, custom-made face mask is applied over the patient’s face. The face mask is formed for each patient and the process is completely painless and typically requires no anesthesia.
STEP 2: DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING
A series of CT scans will be taken to precisely define the size and shape of the tumor and its position amid other structures within your brain.
STEP 3: IMAGE TRANSFER AND PLANNING
After imaging is complete, the information is gathered and transferred to the Novalis radiosurgery treatment planning workstation to determine the precise tumor location, dose and configuration of the shaped beams. Patients are free to move around while treatment is being planned. Once the customized treatment plan is complete, a series of carefully controlled quality checks are performed using precise Novalis radiosurgery instruments, ensuring that the shaped beams will be precisely delivered.
STEP 4: TREATMENT
The patient is taken to the treatment room and positioned comfortably on the specially designed couch. Next, the patient is secured to prevent movement during the procedure. Once treatment begins, Novalis radiosurgery rotates around the patient, delivering the prescribed treatment. Delivery lasts just minutes and is both painless and invisible and patients are able to communicate with the clinician throughout the session. Afterward, patients are able to go home.
