Guide To Treating Pituitary Tumors

External Beam Radiation

External beam radiation is the most common form of radiation therapy for cancerous tumors. Thus, it may be used when a pituitary tumor is cancerous. The goal is to use radiation doses to shrink tumors and destroy cancer cells. External beam radiation is done using a linear accelerator, which is a special type of X-ray machine. Linear accelerators can deliver radiation at any necessary angle. They can also customize the beams to the shape of the tumor.

The machine never has to touch the patient. Instead, it moves around their body and aims radiation beams at the tumors. Focused external beam radiation may offer more focused and targeted treatment than traditional radiation therapy. The practice can also reduce the damage done to the organs and healthy tissue surrounding the tumor. This makes it popular for pituitary tumors, since they are quite close to the brain.