Central Nervous System Program

Overview

Mass General is an internationally recognized leader in the subspecialty of central nervous system (CNS) Radiation Oncology. Our program provides comprehensive expertise in clinical care of a wide spectrum of benign and malignant diseases affecting the brain and spine.

Clinical Services and Special Programs

Many leading-edge treatments we use were introduced or developed by our team, including:

• Linear accelerator based fractionated radiation therapy: Using a variety of technological treatment planning including 3D conformal radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT).
• Proton therapy: Used to treat a variety of benign and malignant diseases in which sparing of neighboring normal tissues may help preserve neurocognition, pituitary function, hearing, and/or vision.
• Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS): In collaboration with the Department of Neurosurgery, this highly precise localization technique offers effective treatment for a variety of malignant and benign disorders.
• Stereotactic fractionated radiotherapy (SRT): This treatment combines the use of the high precision localization technique of SRS with normal tissue sparing benefit of fractionation (dividing radiation dose into small doses delivered daily over several weeks). This enables safe treatment of small targets nearby radiation sensitive structures such as the nerves that give vision or facial movement.
• Spine stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT): Spine SBRT may be used to treat patients with radio-resistant, oligometastatic, and previously irradiated spinal metastases. This therapy provides a treatment option where none existed before.
• Intraoperative brachytherapy: This treatment involves close collaboration with our neurosurgical colleagues such that during an operation and immediately following a planned tumor removal surgery, radioactive substances can be placed in direct contact in the brain with tissues at highest risk of having persistent tumor cells. Low energy of the radioactive substance limits the penetration of the radioactivity such that it remains localized to the surfaces that it touches.

Comprehensive Clinical Care

We provide comprehensive clinical care excellence in managing the full spectrum of CNS diseases. Because of the versatility in options of SRS, SRT, standard fractionated radiation therapy, and protons, we provide the best radiation treatment options currently available.

We work in a multidisciplinary setting with neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, neuro-pathologists, and neuro-radiologists to personalize treatment to the individual. There are numerous other patient-centric support services such as social work, massage therapy, acupuncture, and nutrition consultations that complement our immediate radiation services and are directly accessible through our department.

A Collaborative Approach

Our comprehensive approach includes working closely with your multidisciplinary team at the highly specialized Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology, part of the Mass General Cancer Center. Your team may include clinical experts in neurology, brain surgery, radiology, pathology and psychiatry. Social services are also available to all patients.

The answers to many frequently asked questions also appear in Your Guide to Radiation Therapy (PDF).

Clinical Trials

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