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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Radiosurgery
        
(Message started by: liquidsuspension on Nov 28^th, 2006, 6:47pm)

Title: Radiosurgery
Post by liquidsuspension on Nov 28^th, 2006, 6:47pm

I stumbled accross this just now @ http://www.medicinenet.com/cluster_headaches/article.htm

"Radiosurgery, a type of surgery that uses radiant energy and does not involve cutting, recently has been used to provide a less invasive alternative for people who have persistent cluster headaches."

has anyone dealt with anything like this? a guy at my church has used something similar for prostate cancer. what are they working on in your brain when they do this?

Title: Re: Radiosurgery
Post by floridian on Nov 28^th, 2006, 6:58pm

on 11/28/06 at 18:47:41, liquidsuspension wrote:

It got a lot of discussion here a few years ago. Didn't seem too successful, and some of the cyberknife places won't do it for cluster headaches anymore.

Title: Re: Radiosurgery
Post by BB on Nov 28^th, 2006, 7:14pm

From the Journal of Headache and Facial pain

Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain
Online Early
doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.2006.00639.x
Volume 0 Issue 0

Brief Communication

Repeat Trigeminal Nerve Radiosurgery for Refractory Cluster Headache Fails To Provide Long-Term Pain Relief

Shearwood McClelland III MD; Gene H. Barnett, MD; Gennady Neyman, PhD; John H. Suh, MD

Background.—Medically refractory cluster headache (MRCH) is a debilitating condition that has proven resistant to many modalities. Previous reports have indicated that radiosurgery for MRCH provides little long-term pain relief, with moderate/significant morbidity. However, there have been no reports of repeated radiosurgery in this patient population. We present our findings from the first reports of repeat radiosurgery for MRCH.

Methods.—Two patients with MRCH underwent repeat Gamma Knife radiosurgery at our institution. Each fulfilled clinical criteria for treatment, including complete resistance to pharmacotherapy, pain primarily localized to the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve, and psychological stability. Both patients previously received Gamma Knife radiosurgery (75 Gy) for MRCH with no morbidity, but no long-term improvement of pain relief (Patient 1 = 5 months, Patient 2 = 10 months) after treatment. For repeat radiosurgery, each patient received 75 Gy to the 100% isodose line delivered to the root entry zone of the trigeminal nerve, and was evaluated post re-treatment. Pain relief was defined as: excellent (free of MRCH with minimal/no medications), good (50% reduction of MRCH severity/frequency with medications), fair (25% reduction), or poor (less than 25% reduction).

Results.—Following repeat radiosurgery, long-term pain relief was poor in both patients. Neither patient sustained any immediate morbidity following radiosurgery. Patient 2 experienced right facial numbness 4 months post re-treatment, while Patient 1 experienced no morbidity.

Conclusion.—Repeat radiosurgery of the trigeminal nerve fails to provide long-term pain relief for MRCH. Given the reported failures of initial and repeat radiosurgery for MRCH, trigeminal nerve radiosurgery should not be offered for MRCH.

Annette