Spine Radiosurgery Program

Director: Zain Husain, MD

Spine radiosurgery refers to a noninvasive, painless technique by which high doses of radiation are precisely delivered in order to destroy tumors within or near the spine.  The spine radiosurgery team at Yale consists of radiation oncologists, neurosurgeons, and neuroradiologists who discuss cases in a multidisciplinary fashion and work together to decide the optimal management of patients.  The equipment used at Yale, the Novalis Brainlab radiosurgery system, is amongst the most advanced in the world, and provides the ability to safely treat tumors within millimeters of the spinal cord. 

Patients who may be eligible for spine radiosurgery include those who have symptomatic spinal metastases, including those who have had recurrence of their disease in an area previously treated by radiation.  The goal of the program is to provide durable control of pain and local disease for patients with spinal metastases.  Treatment is delivered as an outpatient, and can usually be done in one day, lasting approximately one hour.