Radiation Therapy for Pituitary Tumors
Overview
Mass General is an internationally recognized leader in central nervous system (CNS) Radiation Oncology - Central Nervous System Program.
Our program provides comprehensive expertise and exceptional clinical care of patients with a spectrum of pituitary tumors and other conditions of the pituitary gland. In addition to medical management, local treatment with traditional surgery or radiation therapy are also commonly used to treat tumors of the pituitary region. Radiation therapy is sometimes used in conjunction with surgery to treat pituitary tumors and in certain situations radiation therapy may be used in lieu of surgery.
Our Program
We work as a multi-disciplinary team alongside our colleagues in neurosurgery, neuroendocrinology, pathology, radiology and neuro-oncology to personalize treatment to each individual and their specific condition. We offer the full spectrum of cutting-edge radiation technologies including stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) and proton therapy. Because each individual’s situation is unique, we have the expertise and versatility to craft a personalized radiation therapy plan for each individual using the best treatment approach and technology for their specific condition.
Safety and precision are cornerstones our of stereotactic radiation therapy program. State-of-the art image-guidance and rigorous radiation physics quality assurance enable highly-focused radiation beams to be guided to the tumor while simultaneously maximally sparing tissues directly adjacent to the tumor – this is particularly critical for tumors of the pituitary region where there is complex and critical anatomy nearby.
Our stereotactic radiation program boasts an unmatched level of experience and a rich history. Mass General has been an international leader and pioneer of radiosurgery for pituitary tumors since the 1960s.
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. Integrative Therapies | Massachusetts General Hospital
Clinical Services and Special Programs
Many leading-edge treatments we use were introduced or developed by our team, including:
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.
Fractionated stereotactic 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.
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. This was a leading technology in our program for many years in the past. With today’s superior advancements in precision and sparing of normal tissues with SRS and SRT which are both delivered with photons, proton therapy is now best used in treatment for some large tumors.