Novalis Tx™
Glossary

This glossary is provided as a quick reference for your convenience. Additional information can be obtained by typing keywords into Search (upper right of your screen) or by clicking on the underlined terms below. The glossary provided here is for informational purposes only and was not designed to diagnose or treat a health problem. Please consult your physician or our staff 904.202.CARE (2273) for answers to questions or for more information.

See the FAQs for more detailed information about Novalis Tx™.

Benign - Not cancerous.

Brachytherapy - Form of radiation therapy in which radioactive materials are reimplanted.

Cancer - A generic term for more than 100 different diseases that are characterized by the uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells. Cancer cells usually invade and destroy normal tissue. Cancer cells can travel through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to reach other parts of the body.

Carcinoma - A cancerous tumor originating in epithelial cells (the surface cells of tissues). Carcinomas tend to spread into surrounding tissues and to metastasize to other parts of the body.

Chemotherapy - Treatment with toxic chemicals (e.g., anti-cancer drugs).

Computed tomography (CT; also known as a "CAT scan") - A form of X-ray imaging in which 3-D sections of a patient's anatomy are reconstructed from X-rays projected through the body from many different angles. CT images display sharp contrast based upon tissue density, and exhibit high spatial accuracy.

Conformal Radiosurgery - Involves geometrically shaping the beam so that the beam's contour corresponds to the shape of the targeted area in the beam's eye view. The beam generally delivers a consistent dose across the targeted area.

Dosimetrist - A member of the radiation oncology team who helps develop the patient's treatment plan and performs calculations to carry out the radiation dose prescription, in collaboration with the medical physicist and radiation oncologist.

Fractionation - Delivery of the prescribed dose in multiple fractions. Stereotactic treatments which are delivered in multiple fractions are called Stereotactic RadioTHERAPY (not Stereotactic RadioSURGERY).

Hemorrhage - Bleeding

IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) - The Conformal Beams change in intensity across the treatment field in order to deliver an inverse plane. Intensity modulation accounts for inhomogeneities and is particularly suited for targets that are next to or wrapped round critical organs, and is often the only way to tailor the dose to the target's shape while minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding tissue and nearby organs.

IMRS (Intensity Modulated Radio Surgery) - High resolution, high accuracy "IMRT" with increased precision of beam shaping and patient positioning.

Isodose Line - A two-dimensional line that surrounds an area receiving a dose greater than or equal to a specified mount.

LINAC. An abbreviation for "linear accelerator" - The Novalis Linear Accelerator creates photon X-ray energy.

Mask System - Relocatable, non-invasive fixation system for fractionated SRT.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - A technique used to image internal structures of the body. MRI images display better contrast in soft tissues than computed tomography (CT) images, but they do not contain information about tissue density, and they are more susceptible to geometric distortion.

Malignant, Malignancy, Cancerous - A cancerous tumor or cancerous tissue.

Melanoma - Cancer that begins in the melanocytes and spreads to other skin cells. Melanoma appears on the skin and looks like new or changing mole.

Metastases - Cancer that started from cancer cells from another part of the body. For example, cancer that starts in the breast can spread to the lymph nodes and then throughout the body.

mMLC (micro-Multileaf Collimator) - A device which shapes the radiation beams used in radiosurgery and radiotherapy. The micro Multileaf Collimator shapes the beam as it exits the linear accelerator and adapts the beam to the shape of the tumor from each direction, employing 52 motorized tungsten leaves.

Neurosurgeon - The physician responsible for primary identification of anatomy and collaboration with the radiation oncologist to oversee treatment and interpretation of procedure results.

Oncologist - A doctor who specializes in the treatment of cancer.

Organ at Risk (RO), Also Sensitive Structure, Risk Organ (RO) - A region in the patient's anatomy (i.e., the spinal cord or the optic nerve) in which it is especially important to minimize radiation to reduce complications.

Radiation Oncologist - The physician trained and responsible for giving doses of radiation and concerned with the interaction of dose and specific tissue (radio biology). Also responsible for scheduling the patient's treatments, setting up the patient and treating the patients.

Radiation Physicist - Responsible for measurement of radiation doses, quality assurance of systems used and creation of treatment parameters.

Radiosurgery, Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) - Single high dose of radiation delivered to target volume minimizing exposure to surrounding brain tissue to high levels of radiation.

Software Treatment Planning Software - Computer program that defines and displays treatment parameters for stereotactic neurosurgery, radiosurgery and brachytherapy.

Stereotactic, Stereotaxy - A method using reference markers to precisely locate target (areas of the brain) with 3-D boundaries.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery - SRT - Also called fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery (FSR), it is process in which the total dose of stereotactic radiation is divided into several smaller doses of radiation, on separate days of treatment. Typically, this consists of two to five treatments. In some cases, staged treatment effectively kills the tumor while seemingly decreasing potential side effects compared with single dose radiosurgery.

Stereotactic Radiotherapy - SRT - Refers to delivering collimated be ms of radiation in multiple fractions to stereotactically located target. The patient returns to the hospital for each treatment and is able to go home in-between.

Tumor - An abnormal growth of tissue resulting from uncontrolled, progressive multiplication of abnormal cells serving no physiological function. A tumor can be benign or malignant.

X-rays - Radiation that is generated by an X-ray tube for cancer treatment. Low energy X-rays are used in diagnostic imaging, while high-energy X-rays re used in radiation therapy for cancer treatment. The X-rays used in radiation therapy are effectively similar to gamma rays.

Back to Top of Page