What are the different types of radiation therapy for lymphomas?
There are several different techniques used to irradiate lymphomas. See the radiation section for general information on radiation. Specific radiation techniques used on brain tumors are: • Radiosurgery Radiosurgery is not really surgery because no incision is required. Focused radiation is used to destroy a tumor. Because the radiation is focused, a smaller dose can be used. Several machines, including a gamma knife and a linear accelerator, can produce this type of radiation. When a gamma knife is used, an imaging frame is attached to the person’s skull. The person lies on a sliding bed, and a large helmet with holes in it is placed over the frame. The head of the bed is then slid into a globe that contains radioactive cobalt. Radiation passes through the holes in the helmet and is aimed precisely at the tumor. A linear accelerator circles the head of the person, who lies on a sliding bed. The linear accelerator aims radiation precisely at the tumor.
