Proton Therapy vs. Gamma Knife® Surgery

In recent years, alternatives to traditional radiation therapy for the treatment of brain tumors have been on the rise. It is important to know which options are available to you.

Proton therapy, or sometimes called proton beam radiation therapy, is a noninvasive treatment that delivers radiation directly to your tumor. It can be used to treat many different cancers all over the body. It is typically performed in an outpatient setting, with patients returning home the same day as treatment. Treatments are done over many days or weeks.

Gamma Knife® is a noninvasive treatment that uses high dose gamma rays to target brain and skull-base tumors with unmatched accuracy. It is performed in an outpatient setting, with patients returning home the same day as treatment. Treatments are done in one day in most cases, and up to one week in select cases.

The type of therapy that’s right for you depends on many factors specific to your condition, including the type of tumor you have.

Proton therapy is better suited for infiltrative primary tumors, or cancer that starts and grows from within and through the brain, and tumors that need to be treated over many weeks

• Accuracy – Gamma Knife® targets brain tumors with impeccable accuracy, even in hard-to-reach areas and is an effective treatment option for single or multiple tumors that have spread to the brain from other parts of the body.
• Less risk to healthy tissue – Because Gamma Knife® treats the affected area with such position, it poses minimal risk to surrounding healthy brain tissue. This may be a better technique for tumors close to very sensitive structures.
• Cost – Gamma Knife® tends to be less expensive than proton therapy.
• Research – More than 2,500 studies have been published in peer-reviewed scientific medical journals documenting the effectiveness of Gamma Knife® treatment with the least side effects for many complex brain conditions.

Cleveland Clinic is a national leader in assisting patients and training other professionals on Gamma Knife® radiosurgery. Download our Gamma Knife® Treatment Guide to learn more about this effective treatment option and how our team can help.