Doctors are now able to treat previously inoperable brain tumors through gamma knife surgery. The procedure is also effective for other diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and arteriovenous malformations in the brain.

The procedure was approved by the FDA 30 years ago but many hospitals are only recently installing the necessary equipment. Some hospitals which offer the service are university of Maryland medical center and the Cromwell hospital in London.

Gamma knife surgery is in fact a non invasive therapy. Doctors fit a metal, helmet like device over the patients head and administer radiation directly to the tumor cells. The radiation damages the DNA of tumor cells and prevents them from growing.

Traditional radiation therapy can have unpleasant side effects and can take several weeks. The gamma radiation device can give several doses of radiation at the same time.

The therapy also eliminates the need for brain surgery with its inherent risks and painful recovery period.