About

Goals and objectives

• experience in the diagnosis, evaluation, and general treatment formulation of stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy
• become familiar with cancer management, including
  • medical
  • surgical
  • neuro-oncology
• integrate all aspects of Central Nervous system (CNS) tumor management appropriately, including the use of combined modality therapy and altered radiation fractionation schemes.
• integrate and learn the indications for external beam radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy
• learn the special therapeutic considerations unique to each CNS tumor type and disease stage
• become familiar with diagnostic imaging studies, including
  • xrays
  • CT
  • MRI/MRA
  • MR-spectroscopy
  • PET
  • angiography

• stereotactic frame placement for radiosurgical procedures
• learn to prescribe, plan, simulate, and implement stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy
• learn to prescribe, plan, simulate, and implement gamma-knife stereotactic radiosurgery, and contrast this with linac-based radiosurgery
• clinical and supportive aspects of pain management and palliative care for the CNS disease patient
• apply clinical and supportive scientific data to the management of cancer and non-cancer patients with CNS disorders
• provide patients with an overall plan for the management of their malignancy or CNS condition
• learn the acute and late effects of radiation on both tumors and normal tissues in the brain and surrounding organs in order to understand the limitations of and indications for stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy
• skills in counseling and educating radiosurgery/CNS radiotherapy patients and their families regarding their diagnosis and treatment options
• become familiar with oncologic pathology, with special emphasis on neoplasia and radiation effects
• treatment of radiation complications as they relate to radiosurgery and CNS radiotherapy
• understand the indications for, outcomes with, and differences between surgery and radiosurgery for CNS malignancies/disorders