Whole-brain radiation for metastatic brain cancer delivers low doses of radiation to the entire brain, including both healthy and cancer cells. This is the treatment most people are familiar with when thinking of radiation for treating brain cancer. It has been an effective form of treatment for many years. However, because it doses the entire brain, it can lead to unpleasant side effects, such as difficulties with memory and cognitive deficits.
By contrast, Gamma Knife radiation is an advanced form of highly targeted radiation treatment that lets your doctor treat only the cancer cells, sparing healthy surrounding tissue. As a result, Gamma Knife raditation patients tend to experience fewer side effects often associated with radiation therapy. To learn more about these two different treatment options, please read the full post.